For An Everlasting Smile
by Anonymonimus
Summary: Sans is extremely depressed and in an effort to talk about it, Papyrus accidentally confuses his brother into thinking he reciprocated his romantic affection. Though Sans's feelings are very one sided, Papyrus can't bring himself to say so especially if it means keeping an everlasting smile on his face. FONTCEST
1. Chapter 1

**This story is loosely based on a prompt that I found on the Undertale Kink Meme. I'm not sure whether I'll continue this story or not but if you want to see more, telling me in the review section would be greatly appreciated.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

Papyrus sat in the living room huddled in a blanket with his brother by his side. It was an unusually cold day in Snowdin – so cold it called for an impromptu day off. The small town was at a standstill with most monsters opting to stay in their own homes for warmth. Even the children thought it best to spend their time indoors what with the freezing weather. Like most of their day offs, the skeleton brothers passed it leisurely watching TV. Papyrus's favourite show had just ended and now they were watching a news report from Mettaton, but the robot wasn't talking about the news as much as himself and his upcoming shows. Regardless, neither were really listening.

Sans took up most of the space on the sofa. He lied on his back, hands pillowing his head and legs resting on Papyrus's lap. The latter was seated on the other end. He glanced from time to time to his brother, noticing how he steadily seemed to doze off. Papyrus frowned. He didn't understand why Sans slept so much. At first he thought it was because of his 1 hp. He thought that being so fragile consequently meant getting exhausted easily, but, nowadays, he wasn't entirely convinced anymore.

The skeleton's doubts began with Alphys. He didn't speak with her much. In fact, odds were they never would have wound up talking had she not had a habit of frequently visiting Undyne during their training sessions. She had been so awkward and apologetic the first time, firmly believing she had committed something akin to murder in terms of gravity of her intrusion. But Papyrus didn't mind; he always loved meeting new people no matter how uncomfortably awkward they could sometimes be. It took a few more unexpected meetings before the two became friendly. Once they did, Alphys began opening up to him bit by bit.

Yesterday, Alphys had finally spoken up about the darker period of her life. It was something she had only hinted to beforehand and Papyrus had quickly understood she didn't like reminiscing on it so he never forced her to expand. If she wanted to talk about it, she would and that day she did. Alphys talked about having spent a good many years awfully depressed and disillusioned with life. This terrible feeling had manifested itself in different ways. She had started by gradually isolating herself from the world, she had then practically refused to leave her home, and consequently began to sleep a lot. There had hardly been a moment she spent awake because being lucid was just too painful and everything was alright when she dreamed. Her situation got worse and worse to the point where she almost made a permanent mistake – but luckily, Undyne saved her.

Papyrus was sure there was a point to the intimate confession, but he had to admit that he had completely missed it. When she had begun describing how she had initially been before things got horribly worse, the tall skeleton's mind immediately drifted to his brother. He couldn't help but notice the similarities between how Alphys had described her depression and the way Sans had been acting for a very long time. The latter hardly ever made an effort to socialise, he probably wouldn't leave the house if Papyrus didn't push him to do it every single day, and though he was always reprimanded for doing it, he slept almost all the time. Traits that he had once considered goofy and, in some strange way, endearing now seemed so much more worrisome and it had altered the way Papyrus perceived his big brother.

Was Sans depressed too? How long had he had felt this way and not told him about it? Was he on the verge of making the permanent mistake that had nearly robbed Alphys of her life?

Innumerable questions plagued Papyrus's mind. He wanted answers and yet jumping into such a sensitive topic wasn't the most obvious endeavour. He knew he absolutely needed to have a conversation with Sans to express how he was ready to help and support him at a moment's notice if he truly was depressed. He needed to tell him that he was loved, that he was ready to listen to his problems free of judgement, that he had a brother who would remain by his side until the end of the line. But despite all of that, Papyrus simply didn't know how to go about instigating such a heavy discussion. Should he just jump into it and get to the point or find a way to ease into it?

"pap." Sans said, pulling his brother from his train of thought. Papyrus darted his gaze towards him and noticed how his eyes were still closed, like he was getting ready to fall asleep at a moment's notice. "you're doing your thinking face."

"How would you know?" Papyrus frowned curiously, "Your eyes are closed."

"i can literally feel it." He chuckled, "you're thinking real hard about something. what's up?"

Papyrus supposed this was his opportunity to talk about what was bugging him. It made him nervous but he had to do it. The last thing he wanted was for Sans to get as bad as Alphys and have no one to pull him away from the edge of the abyss.

"Um…" He started with a heavy sigh.

"yeesh." Sans commented with a snicker, "that bad, hun?"

"No, no…" Papyrus huffed and shifted his eyes to his brother's feet. He grabbed them without thinking much and began fiddling with his toe bones. It somehow helped him feel less anxious. "It's really not…"

"then spill it." Sans encouraged, "and if you could give me a massage, that would be great."

"Sans, that's literally impossible." Papyrus dead panned, "Your feet are bones."

"way to ruin my dreams, bro." And though Sans was clearly joking, it still affected Papyrus. What the smaller skeleton said reminded him of how carefully he would have to consider his every word lest he said the wrong thing and made everything worse.

"Sans…" He started bravely, still fiddling with his toes absently, "You know I care for you a lot…don't you?"

There must have been something off about his tone because Sans immediately tensed and opened his eyes. Though he wasn't looking, Papyrus could tell he was scrutinising his face for answers to unspoken questions.

"yeah…?" Sans replied slowly, almost prudently.

Papyrus was unnerved by his scepticism. The last thing he wanted was for Sans to misinterpret his intentions. He absolutely needed to find a way to avoid such a potentially devastating repercussion and Papyrus concluded it was best to make his brother understand just how much he meant to him. If Sans understood he was loved, perhaps any future miswords wouldn't have as negative of an impact.

"I mean it, Sans." He said seriously and turned to look at his brother, "I really, really care about you."

For some reason, his words only seemed to put Sans even more on guard. He pulled his feet from his grasp and tucked them beneath himself as he sat up on his knees wearing a cautious expression.

"pap…" He said carefully, "where are you going with this…?"

"I-I just need you to know that I love you!" He stammered quickly, like he was afraid Sans would up and leave before he got the chance to say anything else. Papyrus couldn't believe how difficult things were already and he was still leading into what he wanted to talk about. Nonetheless, as soon as he spoke those words, he got the most bizarre reaction from his brother. His face flushed blue as he tensed all the more, fidgeting nervously. "Sans…?"

"are you serious…?" Sans muttered quietly maybe even...shyly? Why would he get timid without precedent?

Everything was suddenly very tense. Papyrus didn't understand why. Had he already screwed up? He hoped not.

"What? Yes, yes! Of course!" He hurriedly proclaimed and reached over, clasping his brother's hands in what hoped was a comforting gesture, "I love you so very much! You mean the world to me!"

"but…we're brothers…" Sans mumbled, inexplicably sheepish.

"So?" Papyrus asked. He was truly confused as to why their family bond would change his feelings rather than reinforce them. "It doesn't change how I feel one bit! Why would it?"

Sans sunk his head a bit between his shoulders. He glanced away nervously and Papyrus noticed how his weird blush seemed to grow. "i-i don't know…" he stuttered and then paused briefly before adding; "i…i love you too."

Papyrus smiled widely and released a relieved sigh. Now that that first step was taken care of, he could start talking about his concerns in regards to his big brother's mental health. He mustn't have messed up as badly as he thought. "Yes, well—" he began but then stopped. He was hit by the realisation that there was something a bit off about how Sans had voiced his affection. It made Papyrus second guess himself, "wait…"

Sans nodded and looked him straight in the eyes. "i didn't know you felt the same way…but i'm glad…" He confessed.

Papyrus stared at his brother quizzically for an additional moment. He struggled to make sense of what Sans had just said until realisation dawned on him like a blue attack. The taller skeleton felt his face blush so violently it was almost painful. He was suddenly hyper aware that he was still holding his brother's hands. He naturally wanted to let go immediately but was afraid of accidentally hurting him. Never mind things had suddenly taken an unexpected and very uncomfortable turn, Sans was still probably depressed and Papyrus had to be mindful of how he approached the situation.

"R-really…?" Papyrus asked incredulously; he really hoped he had somehow just misinterpreted everything.

Sans nodded and smiled softly.

 _Oh no._

"F-for how long?" Papyrus asked, even if he wasn't sure he actually wanted to know.

"a while." Sans admitted and his brother now wished he had never asked.

 _Oh dear._

He was so jarred by the confession he fought to speak. Sans _loved_ him? _Romantically_? Despite the fact that they were _brothers_? Even worse, Papyrus had just confused him into thinking he felt the same way and had confessed to him first when all he had been trying to do was emphasise how much he meant to him platonically. Very platonically. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just clear up the misunderstanding, it would break Sans's heart! Papyrus didn't even want to think of all the pain he would be causing his brother by revealing the truth.

"pap?" Sans asked, cocking his head a bit to the right.

"S-sorry, this is just… _unbelievable_." Papyrus admitted genuinely.

"i'll say." Sans chuckled lightly. Somehow, he seemed incredibly happy – almost beaming. Papyrus hadn't seen him like that in, well, _ever_. "imagine how shocked _i_ am."

The taller skeleton gave a half-hearted laugh and slow nod. All he wanted to do was tell Sans how much he loved him as a brother. The whole point was to make it easier when they talked about his mental health, not confuse him into thinking he reciprocated his romantic love. Never had he even remotely conceived he could screw up so royally. Papyrus shouldn't have jumped into such a conversation so unprepared.

"uh…" Sans sounded and Papyrus noticed how he was subtly urging him to release his hands. He did so slowly. "so what now?"

What now, indeed. The million dollar question. The last thing Papyrus wanted to do was break Sans's heart. He had seemingly been sad for so long but in this very moment he appeared to be very happy. It was refreshing. Papyrus liked seeing his brother this way and wanted to keep his good mood going if he could. And he knew he could. All he had to do was play along and pretend to reciprocate Sans's feelings. However, this would undoubtedly be a never ending charade. He wasn't cruel enough to make his brother break up with him by purposefully being a horrible person. So was it all worth it?

 _Yes_.

"We…we date, I guess?" Papyrus suggested dumbly.


	2. Chapter 2

Papyrus woke up in his race car bed with his alarm buzzing next to his head. He leaned over and shut it off before collapsing back on his mattress with a heavy sigh. He couldn't believe the day before hadn't been a dream. Things had gotten so awkward after Sans had agreed to date him – so much so he had run off to bed much earlier than he normally would have. For as great as the taller skeleton was, he had no idea how to date someone. Learning the intricacies of romantic entanglements had never been a top priority nor something that even remotely interested him. All Papyrus had ever wanted was to be a royal guard so why would he focus his energy on anything other than that?

Though he supposed things were different now. He would need to learn how to be an exemplary boyfriend for Sans. He wanted to say the last thing he hoped for was to disappoint his brother but that wouldn't be entirely true. A selfish part of him in the back of his mind wished more than anything that all the efforts he made would disillusion him and make this painful situation end. Papyrus admittedly felt terrible for it.

With a burdensome groan, he got out of his bed and slipped into his battle body. He had scheduled a sparring session with Undyne today which would thankfully take him very far away from Sans if only for a little while. Papyrus paused as he slipped on his breast plate. Guilt crept into his bones. He hated how that thought had crossed his mind. It made him miserable to think he would permanently be uncomfortable around his brother from then on because of the romantic feelings he harboured for him. How he wished he could somehow have the power to reset time and stop himself from creating such a foolish misunderstanding.

And yet, there was no point in wishing for the impossible. Papyrus pulled on the rest of his suit and glanced at the scarf he hung on the back of his desk chair. Sans had given it to him as a gift one Gryftmas long ago. It had been a brotherly, innocent thing…hadn't it? It was hard to tell now. Papyrus almost didn't want to put it on and yet he had a charade to maintain. No matter how much he detested it, he would pretend to love Sans romantically because it would make him happy. If he had to choose between going back to normalcy but risking his brother 'going on vacation' permanently or making him happy but remaining in a situation that made him very uneasy, and he did, he would choose the latter every single time. Papyrus only had one brother, after all.

As such, he left his room pulling on the orange scarf around his neck. His steps were heavy and the smile he forced on his face was strained. He hated this but it was okay. It was for Sans and it was worth it. How many things had his brother done and sacrificed for Papyrus's happiness? When he considered the rare race car bed, the figurines, and the scarf among many other gifts, he could only assume a lot. For that reason, it was the least he could do to repay his brother.

 _I owe it to him_. Papyrus told himself as he walked into the kitchen.

He paused at the entrance, surprised to find his brother standing on a chair as he reached for the cupboards. His own presence seemed to have equally startled Sans as he jolted, nearly falling off his perch. Papyrus took a quick step closer, ready to catch him, but he stabilised himself and avoided the fall. Why wasn't Sans sleeping like he normally would on a Monday? It was strange to see him up so early – earlier than Papyrus himself.

"Sans! Be careful!" Papyrus schooled immediately, "And get down from there! Whatever it is you want, I'll get it for you."

"sorry, paps." Sans chuckled and did as he was told, "but i was fine 'til you scared me."

Papyrus rolled his eyes, "Of course you were." He muttered sarcastically, "You shouldn't be standing on chairs, especially ours. They're incredibly wobbly and you'd just fall."

"you weren't up and I was trying to surprise you." Sans shrugged.

The taller skeleton was about to continue nagging him until what he had said dawned on him. He glanced towards his brother sceptically, "You…what?" he mumbled. His eyes then fell upon the items that had been taken out from the refrigerator. Eggs, milk, and butter.

"yeah." Sans insisted and began fidgeting nervously as a blush grew on his face. "i thought: 'hey, papyrus cooks for me all the time so maybe i can return the favour and make him breakfast.' and you were still asleep when i got up so i thought it would make for a pleasant surprise…"

Papyrus felt his cheekbones begin to heat up as well. The sentiment was both kind and sweet but ruined by the fact that Sans had only done so by acting upon his romantic feelings. Odds were he would still be sleeping in his room had the misunderstanding never occurred.

"W-what did you want to make me…?" Papyrus stammered. As far as he was concerned, spaghetti didn't necessitate the use of the items on the table.

Sans flinched and his blush grew. It was like the question daunted him – perhaps he was afraid to be judge by an excellent chef. "um…well…" he mumbled and pulled out a cooking book from seemingly out of nowhere. The hard cover displayed Mettaton's rectangular body. He wore a chef's hat, holding a wooden spoon in one hand and a bowl of flour in the other. "mettaton pancakes. they're made in the shape of mettaton's face. i know you don't eat much of anything that isn't spaghetti, but seeing as you idolize mettaton so much i thought you might like it."

Papyrus took the book from his brother's hands and inspected the page at which it was open. The pancakes seemed interesting and simple enough to make. That being said, Sans had no culinary experience and would undoubtedly struggle. He supposed he ought to help him then. However, just as the taller skeleton was about to impose his help, he was distracted by the way Sans looked. His blue blush had engulfed most of his face but what had caught him off guard was the way he was staring at him. It was like he was expecting something but Papyrus had no idea what. Maybe it was his help? It would be convenient seeing as he was just about to offer it anyway.

"Fine…" he said slowly, carefully paying attention to Sans to see if he was meeting his unspoken demand. Apparently, he wasn't. "The Great Papyrus will help you in this endeavour. What were you trying to get?"

"the flour and vanilla extract." Sans answered, staring at his pink slippers.

Papyrus easily reached for the requested items and handed them to his brother who placed them with the others on the table.

"What next?"

Sans read the instructions from the cooking book and Papyrus followed them to the letter. He effortlessly mixed the ingredients together and readied the stove on which he began cooking the pancakes. When he poured the batter into the hot pan, it somehow took the shape of a rectangle on its own. It was quite impressive. And though the instructions indicated the cakes only be cooked until they were golden, Papyrus thought they would be more accurate to life if he let them blacken. Surely they wouldn't taste any different.

When they were all ready, he took out two plates and separated the pancakes equally. The skeleton brothers sat at opposite ends of their small table, like they always did, and ate. Papyrus didn't know if it was just him but he felt like they were bathing in awkwardness. Everything seemed incredibly tense for some reason and he wished there was something he could do to make the situation more comfortable. However, not knowing what to do, he opted to take a first bite of the Mettaton pancake. He was surprised to find that he enjoyed it even though it tasted like smoke.

"You know…" Papyrus began, instigating what he hoped was a relaxed conversation, "These aren't as moist as the book said they would be."

"eh, probably just exaggerated it for the prose." Sans shrugged and crunched through his food. "these are really good. though it was to be expected from you."

Papyrus blushed in discomfort at the compliment. Perhaps he had meant the sentiment innocently, but everything Sans now said took a different connotation. He felt like every word that came from his mouth was the product of his romantic feelings. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Either way, he knew he had to get used to it. He supposed he would as well, but it would take time. This was only the beginning of their relationship and it was very new territory to Papyrus. After a few months, he would surely get the hang of it and grow used to what currently unnerved him.

"anyways, i'm going to be out for the day." Sans said, pushing his empty plate to the center of the table.

"Where are you going?" Papyrus asked.

"work." Sans replied.

 _Work?_ That was new…especially on a Monday.

"yeah, i'm stationed at the sentry post near the ruins." He elaborated further.

"You need to be extra vigilant there." Papyrus reminded, though he was sure it was needless because Sans probably already knew. "Humans generally come from there."

"don't worry, bro. i'll keep a good eye out for 'em." Sans reassured with a light chuckle.

' _Brother'…_

They finished their meal and placed the plates in the sink to be washed later. The two then parted ways as they left the house. Again, Sans looked like he was expecting something from Papyrus but the latter had no idea what. Thus, he simply waved at his brother and wished him a good work day before heading for Waterfall. The taller skeleton hated how he all but ran away. Despite their new relationship, this was still Sans and he deserved better – so much better. That very thought added more weight and guilt to Papyrus's shoulders. Why did this brother have to love _him_ like when he could never feel the same way in return? Why couldn't it have been someone – _anyone_ – else? Sans deserved someone good who reciprocated his feelings, not someone who was pretending to.

Papyrus arrived at Undyne's around an hour later. The only reason the walk was so long was because a body of water that was too big to jump severed the most immediate path. Otherwise, it would have easily taken him half the time. Regardless, Undyne was waiting in front of her house with arms crossed above her chest and an excited grin disfiguring her face. She was in a good mood which consequently meant she was going to drill Papyrus harder than usual.

"Papyrus! About time!" She bellowed. "Today feels like a good day to spar, so let's get to it!"

Undyne was aggressive as usual. She flung a multitude of attacks left and right and goaded Papyrus into being more bold and daring with his own. She seemed particularly determined to work up a sweat and push way beyond her limits. However, Papyrus had a hard time keeping up with her. He obviously didn't want to accidentally hurt her and so hesitated to be as violent, but his heart also wasn't into the sparring session. His mind continuously drifted to Sans and how their relationship had changed. He thought about dating and how he had no idea how to go about it. He spent more time with his mind floating elsewhere rather than focusing on his training and it wasn't long until Undyne noticed.

Suddenly, the barrage of magic spears stopped and Undyne shifted out of her fighting stance. She frowned at Papyrus disappointedly and walked towards him, arms resting on her hips. "You're not going to get in the royal guard if you're not on your A game." She stated.

"I'm…I'm sorry." He apologised and slunk his head between his shoulders.

"This isn't like you." She noted, "What's up?"

Papyrus deliberated telling the truth. He didn't like the idea of lying but being honest about this situation was scary. If he told Undyne he was now dating his brother, who knew how she would react? Relationships of the sort were not only uncommon in the Underground, but also frowned upon. He didn't want to lose the friend he had in her not to mention the chance of entering the royal guard. And yet, if anyone could help him figure out his problems, it was definitely Undyne. She was so cool and smart, surely she knew a thing or two about dating.

"I…I'm dating someone." He admitted cautiously. He supposed he could just tell her part of the truth and keep the identity of the person he was dating to himself.

Undyne blinked dumbly, evidently surprised by the confession. "Oh wow…really?" she asked incredulously.

Papyrus nodded, "But…I've never dated someone before." He added, "And I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Undyne nodded and hummed pensively. "I thought that was a weird thing to be upset about." She muttered to herself and sat down as she thought on what type of help she might offer, beckoning Papyrus with a few rapid taps on the soil to follow suit himself. He sat down and crossed his legs, waiting for his fish-friend to shower him with her wisdom. "Well, crap." She finally resumed, "Good on you, Papyrus! I thought you were too innocent to be interested in that sort of thing, but look at you proving me wrong!"

Papyrus gave a half-hearted chuckle, "Heh…yeah."

"So I get that this must be stressing you out," She acknowledged, "I wouldn't feel comfortable either in your shoes. But I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to be offering advice."

"What? Really?" Papyrus asked disappointedly.

"Yeah! I've got no time for love!" Undyne barked dynamically, "Who knows when the next human's going to come parading in the Underground? I've got to keep training and get a crapton stronger to take 'em out! I'll get all the babes once we're free!"

Papyrus had no doubt that that would effectively be the case. "Oh…"

"But hey," Undyne unexpectedly continued, "You're my friend and I still want to help out. There's a book I borrowed one time from the library in Snowdin. It's called 'The idiot's Guide to Dating and Other Romantic Stuff'."

"Why did you borrow that book?" Papyrus inquired.

Undyne flinched and blushed, "N-none of your business!" she retorted nervously, "Anyways, I tried reading it but it was too wordy for me! You should give it a go instead. I'm sure it'll be super useful."

"Thanks, Undyne." Papyrus said. He was thankful for having as great of a friend as her.

"No problem," she grinned, "One thing I can tell you though, is that handholding is a big deal! When you're out and about, remember to always hold their hand!"

Papyrus grimaced, "…Why?"

Undyne shrugged, "Who knows? I read it in the book. You'll probably find the answer there." Then she stood up and extended her hand to Papyrus, "Now that that's settled, do you want to carry on with your training? Hint: the right answer is 'yes'."

The taller skeleton took her hand and allowed himself to be lifted back to his feet. "Yes." He smiled.

"Good." She affirmed, "And don't think I didn't pick up on how you didn't tell me who you were dating! I'd like to meet them someday."

His smile fell a bit. "I'll introduce you eventually." He answered and Undyne seemed satisfied with that.

Without wasting another moment, they got back to training. The weight that had previously halted their sparring was still present but just a bit lighter, and it consequently wasn't as distracting. He now knew where he had to go to make his charade more convincing for Sans and that was very relieving. Sans's happiness was all that mattered to him at this point. Perhaps he wouldn't even have to talk about his mental health if he kept his sham going.

They finished sparring a few hours later. Neither had notice the time pass and so had finished much later than intended. However, Undyne deemed it appropriate considering the time they had wasted talking about Papyrus's dating issues. She waved him off, offering him a few tips to improve his fighting and reminding him to fetch the dating manual from the library. He nodded and thanked her again before leaving.

A heavy pit began building in Papyrus's stomach area as he left Waterfall. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to pretend to love Sans like that. Was that so wrong of him? If it wasn't, it sure felt like it. The taller skeleton didn't like the feeling that inhabited him now. He didn't want to feel horrible whenever he saw Sans because he still loved him, but in a different way. Maybe he could trick himself into thinking he loved his brother romantically? It would take some time, but he was positive he would eventually come to believe it and the feelings he hated about himself would then leave.

"hey, pap." Sans said, promptly jolting Papyrus out of his thoughts with a yelp.

He stumbled back a few steps and stared at the smaller skeleton in front of him in bewilderment. "Sans? What are you doing here?" He asked. He was still in Waterfall, considerably far away from home.

"you finished late," He answered kicking a small rock into a nearby creek, "after a while I thought you might be on your way home so I decided to meet you half way but…" he chuckled lightly, his cheeks taking a light shade of blue, "i guess you finished way later than i expected so it's a little more than half way now."

"Oh, well, you didn't have to." Papyrus said. He _wished_ Sans hadn't. He _wished_ he could have had more time to himself.

"it's fine." Sans shrugged, "what was i going to do? cook supper?"

"Point taken." Papyrus conceded, "Thank you. It was very sweet of you to want to walk me home."

Sans's blush spread abruptly. He looked away shyly and shoved his hands in his sweater pockets nervously, "i-it's no big deal." He muttered.

With that, they began walking back. The initial part of the walk was strangely tense. Papyrus noticed from the corner of his eyes how Sans continuously peeked at him all the while pretending not to. Again, his brother was giving off the impression that he either wanted or expected something from him. Papyrus was as puzzled as ever until he remembered what Undyne had told him earlier. He glanced down and gently fished out Sans's hand from his pocket to hold it in his for the rest of their walk. Sans's entire face turned blue from his blush and he began perspiring a bit. But despite his reaction, Papyrus could see that the action had made him very happy.

 _I love Sans._ He told himself.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Papyrus did that day was walk to the library and rent the book Undyne had mentioned yesterday. He rolled out of bed and slipped into his fresh battle body before waltzing out of his room. Unlike the day before, Sans was still asleep. Papyrus guessed it was because his previous early awakening had taken a lot out of him. Though he didn't like the idea of his brother sleeping in too much for fear of having him fall back into his worrisome habits, he supposed it was okay for today. After all, his shift for his second job only began much later in the day.

The taller skeleton thus sat himself on his sofa and opened the book he had taken from the library. It had a hard cover and the title 'The Idiot's Guide to Dating and Other Romantic Stuff' was written in a large, goofy font. A human with exaggerated features and a silly expression was also scribbled in the remaining space. The people at the library had told him humans had effectively written the tome he had borrowed and begged him to be very careful with it as it was a prized relic from the surface. As fascinating as it was to see what sort of advice humans could offer monsters on dating, Papyrus doubted in its utility. Humans and monsters were very different. But if Undyne said it was useful, then he believed her because she was his friend.

Getting comfortable, Papyrus kicked up his feet and began skimming through the book. The first part contained an introduction. It read:

" _Relationships don't start out of the blue or because you want them to happen. They're the product of a bond that has been cultivated through time. Relationships can't solely be founded on superficial qualities as they are weak in comparison to more profound attributes. Ideally, two individuals would form a friendship before attempting to upgrade to a more intimate relationship. This would assure both individuals that they do like each other for who they are thus increasing the possibility for a long, lasting, and successful relationship. The goal of this novel is to help guide the readers into meaningful relationships and help them find their life partner. For this step by step dating guide, we will assume that the reader has previously had no bond whatsoever with the individual they covet and build from there."_

Papyrus hummed and nodded. Though he didn't know much about the dating world, what had been written in the introduction seemed to indicate the book Undyne had recommended was a reliable source. He consequently skipped to chapter 2. He didn't need to read the part about creating a bond with the 'coveted individual'. Sans was his brother. They'd been bonded since Papyrus's birth. As far as he was concerned, it was the equivalent to building a friendship with a stranger before proceeding to intimacy.

" _Once you've successfully wooed your secret love, it's time to ask them on a date! The first date is always the most important as it will characterise the both of you in regards to a potential relationship. Will you be uncomfortably possessive? Will you be sweet and supportive? Will you be exhaustingly suffocating? All these questions and more will be answered in your own respective minds and will consequently determine if there really is a future for you and the light of your life."_

 _First date?_ Papyrus thought back and frowned.

He hadn't known that people were supposed to embark on a date before actually dating. Sans and he hadn't proceeded as such…did that mean their relationship wasn't legitimate? As happy as the possibility made him, Papyrus despaired at having to instigate the activity. He couldn't just sit idly by enjoying how he wasn't truly in a romantic relationship when Sans wanted one. It was probably the only thing he knew his brother actually wanted it and he felt like it was his duty to give it to him.

 _I love Sans_. Papyrus told himself with a deep sigh and continued to read a different segment of the chapter.

Maybe Sans would like a dinner and a movie? Like on TV?

" _One of the main things you'll want to avoid on your fabled first date is being cliché. You want to provide an interesting and original experience for your intended partner. As such, a dinner and a movie is highly not recommended."_

Papyrus dropped his head in exasperation. _So much for a dinner and a movie…_ he thought to himself. Luckily, the book provided a helpful list of more fun date ideas. Ones that would supposedly "lead to more positive results than the old classics we tend to see on TV". The taller skeleton wondered if humans also had access to MTT TV. It was the only logical conclusion he could pull from the aforementioned line.

Regardless, he shook his head and read through the first of a long list of suggestions.

" _Take a tour of the city."_

Papyrus considered touring Snowdin but quickly realised there wasn't much to tour. Snowdin was more of a village or homestead than a city and didn't harbour anything unique. There were no castles – or, at the very least, castles that weren't made of snow – nor were there unique monuments with historical significances. However, there _were_ a lot of trees, but Papyrus didn't find those interesting and he doubted Sans's opinion was different from his on the matter. Perhaps this was something more doable on the surface. He scratched the idea and continued.

" _Explore your sporty side and find an excuse to get physical with minigolf."_

Papyrus grimaced at the suggestion. He wasn't quite sure what 'minigolf' was but if it was really a sport, than Sans would certainly not enjoy it. He'd maybe also die from the exhaustion.

" _Go out for a picnic by a lake."_

The skeleton was about to dismiss this idea as well when he paused. At first, his mind had drifted to the lake located deep in the forest that separated Snowdin from the Ruins. The place was incredibly cold and very far away, overall not the ideal place for a picnic.

 _But…Waterfall could be nice…_ Papyrus mused.

Waterfall was the perfect temperature what with being nestled in between the cold climate of Snowdin and extreme heat of Hotland. Not only that, but parts of the cavern's roof was littered with glowing stones that were said to resemble stars – and Sans loved astronomy. They could even bring his telescope to gaze at the shimmering stones when they finished eating.

" _Whatever date idea you choose, this book cannot help you as precisely as it would like to with how to act during the activity itself. However, it's important to remember to be yourself. The person you invited on a date agreed to go because of the person they knew you to be. Do NOT try to be someone else, it will not end well."_

It seemed like decent advice. And yet, Papyrus had been struggling with how to act normal ever since he began dating his brother. He was so self-conscious about his actions, and he over thought everything he and Sans did to the point where he felt robotic – in the non-Mettaton sense. That being said, the final warning reoriented Papyrus's thoughts and made him shift uncomfortably. It was like the book knew he was pretending to love Sans and was telling him to stop with his charade.

…Should he?

 _No…_ Papyrus sighed. During the past two days they had been dating, Sans had been considerably happier than he had ever been. He already vowed to maintain his brother's happiness and so he quickly schooled himself for trying to wiggle out of his obligation. _I love Sans_.

" _Remember to purchase your date a tasteful gift. An expensive item such as jewellery, you will likely make them uncomfortable and is consequently not recommended. Instead, opt for the classic bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolate. Yes, it might be cheesy, but these kinds of gifts are cheap (your wallet will thank you) and thoughtful. They will not make your date feel guilty for not having gotten you something in return nor for having you spend your hard earned money on them."_

Papyrus considered what his feeble amount of money would allow him to buy. He only worked as a sentry guard on call and since monsters rarely ever got sick, he didn't have much in the way of shifts. This had never bothered him because it meant he could spend more time training with Undyne. Now he was a bit frustrated because he wasn't sure whether he would be able to buy Sans a gift like the book suggested.

" _As for your clothes, even if you aren't going to a fancy place, you should still make an effort to look nice. It shows that you care and that this date is important to you. Additionally, looking hot and on point will increase your success rate."_

The skeleton admittedly thought this bit of advice was silly and unnecessary. Papyrus _always_ looked amazing! Sans gave him a double thumbs up of approval all the time. However, he wondered if the tome was insinuating he should wear something other than his battle body. It _had_ told him to be original with his date idea, could it also be implying that the sentiment extended to his wardrobe for the given activity?

If so, he would need to find a new outfit.

" _Remember your date has boundaries and it's important that you don't cross them lest they become uncomfortable. For said reason, this book recommends you ask before doing anything. This may seem awkward at first but it's actually cute and endearing. Not only that, but it also shows how much you respect your date and value consent. As such, remember to ask to hold their hand or to give them a goodnight kiss at the end of your date."_

 _I love Sans_. Papyrus reminded himself when he felt a pang of discomfort at the thought of kissing his brother. He then flipped to the last page.

" _This book has taught you everything you need to do to succeed! Hopefully you score your honey and are now in a happy relationship! You'll be kissing each other hello in the morning and goodnight, cuddling on the couch in front of some bad TV, and getting freaky in the sheets before you know it! And if it doesn't pan out as intended, that's okay. They weren't the one for you and, as they say, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Don't give up."_

Papyrus's mind drifted to how Sans had seemed expectant yesterday morning. Seeing as they were technically dating despite not having gone on their first date, had the smaller skeleton been expecting a good morning kiss? If it was something couples did, then he supposed that was probably it. Papyrus groaned to himself. He was going to have to kiss his brother a lot more than he wanted to.

 _I love Sans…_ Papyrus repeated to himself, _I'm doing this for his happiness…_

There was still a small segment to the final page he had yet to read, however he snapped the book shut the moment he heard Sans opening the door to his room. Papyrus hastily hid it in the sofa's crack, unsure why he was nervous at the prospect of being caught with said book in his possession, and jumped to his feet. Upon glancing at the clock, he found that two hours had passed since he fetched the book. It was nearly eleven in the morning; still far earlier than the hour at which his brother normally emerged from his room.

"hey pap…" he mumbled, rubbing his bleary eyes as he yawned.

"Hello Sans." Papyrus tried to greet cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"strangely, yeah." He replied, climbing down the stairs.

"There's some breakfast spaghetti in the refrigerator." Papyrus continued, following his brother into the kitchen.

Sans tiredly glanced at the clock and groaned, "thanks, but i can't have any of it." He said and headed towards the front door instead. "i'm working the hot dog and hot cat stand in hotland today. if i don't leave now, i'll be late."

"Oh," Papyrus uttered and quickly rushed into the kitchen. He took out a plastic container and dumped the breakfast spaghetti in it before throwing it in a brown lunch bag. "Here," he said, handing it over to Sans, "You can just eat it during lunch or whenever you get hungry."

Sans blushed a bit and looked away as he took the bag. "thanks, pap."

"You're welcome, brother." He smiled, but the last word he spoke felt like poison in his mouth. Sans didn't seem to interpret it that same way, though.

"well, i'll be on my way i guess…" he mumbled, reaching for the knob.

"Ah, wait!" Papyrus exclaimed, halting his brother, "I wanted to ask you something…"

Sans looked at him expectantly after a long moment of silence, "yeah…?"

Papyrus took a deep breath. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly so nervous. "Would…would you…" he stammered inelegantly, "Would you go on a date with me…?"

Sans's face was abruptly engulfed in a deep shade of blue. It was quite worrying. He looked away like he always seemed to do when he was daunted or shy. "yes." He answered so quietly it was almost like a squeak.

"Great!" Papyrus exclaimed with feigned joy, "We'll go this Saturday, okay?"

Sans nodded and gave a sheepish smile. He kind of looked…cute? The thought quickly fled from Papyrus's mind when it drifted to something he had read in the book. _Right_. He had to kiss Sans good morning. He sighed inwardly as he reached for his brother's cheek which he cupped with his long, bony hand. He felt the smaller skeleton stiffen beneath his touch but he didn't pull away as he leaned in and clanked their teeth together briefly. Sans seemed to take an even darker shade of blue if that were at all possible.

"Have a good day at work." Papyrus told him.

 _I love Sans_. He thought.

* * *

 **Informative chapter is informative. Papyrus had to learn about dating some way or another.**


	4. Chapter 4

**HEADCANON TIME: I'm of the opinion that Sans is an excellent cook but tends to let Papyrus cook because, even if the latter sucks, he enjoys it.**

 **It's a known fact that Papyrus is a terrible cook. Sans says he's improved since he first started out but that he food is still incredibly gross. But a lot of fans have also speculated that Sans is also a bad chef - which I disagree with entirely.**

 **Let's look at the facts; Sans doesn't cook a lot. But we know that he did try it out at some point as voiced by Papyrus during the date portion of Undertale. However, it's important to remember that Papyrus sucks at cooking and has a false conception of what food should be like.**

 **The argument that fans bring to the table to support this is that Papyrus states "My brother always goes out to eat but...recently, he tried 'baking' something. It was like...a quiche. But filled with a sugary, non-egg substance." People seem to think this means that Sans tried making a quiche but failed horribly. That being said, we've established that Papyrus has a flawed perception of food and he doesn't even say that Sans tried making a quiche but rather whatever he tried to make was LIKE one.**

 **So my point here is that I think Sans made a pie but Papyrus didn't know what it was so the best way to describe it was how he did it in the aforementioned quote.**

 **Why am I mentioning this here? Good question.**

* * *

There were two days left until Saturday. Papyrus had read the dating book he had borrowed from the library plenty of times before finally returning it. For all the advice it gave in terms of executing a pleasant and memorable outing, it failed to offer anything to help deal with the nerve wracking anxiety. Though, Papyrus reckoned, he was certain anything it would have to say on the matter wouldn't apply to him. He didn't know much about human culture but he couldn't imagine that incestuous relationships were accepted either.

The stress of it all was steadily getting to him. The taller skeleton harboured a feeling of wrongness that felt like it was squeezing the life out of his soul. He didn't want to go on a date with Sans and he absolutely didn't want to pretend to love him romantically. Whether he should abandon his charade or pursue it had been a great subject of debate in his mind – especially the past few days. Sure, Sans was visibly much happier now, something all the more considerable when the length of time they had been dating was taken into account, and made a bigger effort with everything, but his feelings also had to be taken in consideration. The dating book had told him that the two parties' emotions were equally important no matter the situation. But, again, a sense of responsibility and duty came flooding into Papyrus's mind. Dating him was the only thing he knew his brother had ever wanted and it made him happy.

It didn't make things easier that Sans seemed all the more ensnared by him since asking him out on a date. He was all the more attentive and ready to do just about anything for Papyrus out of the kindness of his love. He cooked him Mettaton pancakes that weren't blackened for accuracy, cleaned his scattered socks and, surprisingly, his room, and went out of his way to walk home with him every single day. Despite the sense of immorality he felt in pretending to reciprocate Sans's feelings, it also felt selfish. What would Sans do if he ever learned the truth?

Papyrus was simply at an impasse. He felt like he was between two stools and neither two options he had would lead to a favourable outcome. It made staying in his house with Sans all the more suffocating. So he left. A part of him never wanted to go back but he knew he couldn't do that to his brother. Besides, running away wasn't worthy of a member of the royal guard. But taking a well-deserved break was – which was what he was doing.

The skeleton made his way towards Waterfall, having claimed to go visiting Undyne. Sans waved him off, stating he would probably be at work by the time the other came back, which was something Papyrus was more than fine with. Regardless, he didn't dare delve into his dilemma on the walk to his friend's house. Instead, he opted to enjoy the quaintness of Waterfall and its peculiar beauty. However, he couldn't do so for long as he was quickly reminded by glancing at the star-like stones on the ceiling that he would be taking Sans here on a date.

He arrived at Undyne's fish-shaped house much later. Even though he wasn't anywhere near the door, he could hear the loud sound from her TV indicating that Alphys was likely over. Undyne never watched TV on her own time. Papyrus thus hesitated at the door. He didn't want to intrude but he didn't want to go back home so soon either – only when he was sure Sans was gone would he return. And that latter thought weighed heavily on his heart as he knocked lightly at the door.

The sound from the other side paused. He could make out Undyne's voice but not the words she uttered – though Papyrus supposed they were irrelevant. The woman in question momentarily swung open the door with a mildly annoyed look that instantly vanished when she saw Papyrus. "Pap! Hey, buddy! What are you doing here?" She bellowed excitedly.

Papyrus gave her a small smile. He spotted Alphys awkwardly standing just a few steps behind his friend. She offered a nervous yet quiet greeting, refusing to meet his eyes. "Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you…" he said.

"Nah, it's all fine!" Undyne assured with a toothy grin as she stepped aside, "Come in!" Papyrus nodded and obeyed as the other monster continued with: "Alphys and I were just watching some historic cartoons. This one's pretty epic; what's it called again?"

"O-One Punch Man…" Alphys offered, her face flushing red as though she were embarrassed.

"Yeah, so it's the biopic series of one of humanity's most notable icons; Saitama." Undyne elaborated, "Supposedly, he's the strongest human ever."

"Even stronger than Superman?" Papyrus blinked curiously.

"I mean, it's hard to gage." Alphys mumbled, shifting around clumsily, "There's a lot of debate about it online, but I would tend to say yes because Saitama has absolutely no weakness."

"Anyways, you didn't come here to talk about history, did you?" Undyne asked, turning her gaze to Papyrus, "What's up?"

"Ah, um…" Papyrus muttered hesitantly, "I just…I just wanted to tell you I can't train with you Saturday…"

"How come?" Undyne frowned.

Papyrus felt his face begin to heat up, "I…have a date."

Undyne looked surprised but only for a brief second. Before he knew it, a grin spreading from ear to ear was plastered on her face as she smacked his shoulder playfully, "Good on you, buddy!" she guffawed, "That book sure was handy, hun?"

"I guess, but we were already dating so…" The skeleton trailed off.

"Oh, y-you're dating someone?" Alphys asked curiously as she wandered closer, "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Papyrus answered.

"Don't ask him who it is, though." Undyne laughed and swung an arm around his neck, "He's keeping their identity top secret until further notice! He won't even tell _me_ who it is!"

"Oh, well, that makes…sense…I guess…" Alphys said uncertainly, "I mean, if you two just started…who knows if it'll really be a durable thing, r-right? Better give it a week or two…"

"Eh," Undyne shrugged and released Papyrus from her uncomfortable grip, "I've got to say though, it's a bit weird that you started dating before going on your first date."

"I-it just sort of…happened." Papyrus explained lamely. "It wasn't planned or anything…"

Papyrus really hoped they would drop the topic soon. He didn't like talking about his relationship because he was afraid he would accidentally say something he would regret. The last thing he wanted was to let slip that he was actually dating Sans rather than some other monster. Besides, pretending to be happy with his situation was exhaustingly difficult. He wasn't much of a liar. Papyrus always used to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He used to be completely honest. _Used to_.

"Anyways, I'm going to be a good host now," Undyne declared, "You two head to the living room while I fetch refreshments!"

They nodded and went to the designated area while Undyne zoomed off to the kitchen. Papyrus and Alphys awkwardly sat next to one another on the couch. The atmosphere was tense for unknown reasons and the skeleton was starting to feel more flustered than he did at home. He tried to think of something to say to ease the situation but nothing came to him. Alphys was just so difficult to talk to sometimes.

"Ah…I'm h-happy for you." Alphys eventually stuttered abruptly, startling Papyrus out of his thoughts, "Because of your relationship…obviously. I hope that it's everything you ever wanted."

Her words stung, but Papyrus didn't let it show. "Thank you. It is."

"You're so lucky…" She sighed, gazing forlornly at her clawed hands, "I'd love to be dating someone too."

"Why?" Papyrus asked before he could stop himself. He had a hard time imagining why someone would want to date someone else when he himself was so miserable with his condition. Then again, not everyone found themselves accidentally dating their sibling.

"W-well…" Alphys began nervously, glancing at the ceiling as a blush crept on her cheeks, "They're fulfilling, I think. It's nice to have a p-partner, you know? Someone who can offer you support and motivate you to aspire for more, to set higher goals for yourself…" a bitter smile then appeared on her face, "Given how much of an a-anxious mess I am, I think a relationship could be g-good for me…"

Papyrus's mind drifted to Sans. It was crazy how Alphys was so exceptionally good at reminding him of his brother. Nevertheless, what the orange monster wanted from a relationship seemed to correlate with what Sans was currently getting out of theirs.

"Then why aren't you in one?" Papyrus inquired curiously.

"U-um…" Alphys laughed awkwardly and fiddled with her hands, "I-it's like I said…I'm an anxious mess…and I don't think my feelings are reciprocated so I don't want to deal with the rejection…but…also…" her eyes seemed to lose any form of life that had once animated them, "I get these…thoughts…" she added slowly, "I-I don't think very highly of myself…I'm insecure…and I'm afraid that if I were to be told that my feelings are returned that it wouldn't be true…that it would have been said out of pity…"

Papyrus's heart gave a painful throb. It was like he was speaking with Sans at this point and it made everything all the worse. "What…what would you do if that happened?" He asked, trying to push Sans out of his mind.

In that moment, Alphys never looked so small and fragile. It was like the gentlest of breezes could shatter her to bits. "Well…" she breathed quietly, "I'd really rather not think about it…"

Despite the lack of a direct answer, Papyrus understood exactly what would happen. She would be pushed to commit the irreparable and he could only imagine that Sans would find himself on the same boat. The thought weighed heavily on his shoulders. He couldn't let his brother stoop that low into depression. He had to save him and that meant maintaining this torturous charade. From that point on, Papyrus vowed never to doubt his decision nor attempt to find a way out ever again.

 _I love Sans_. He reaffirmed to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Papyrus restlessly tore through his closet. He had made a mess of his room in his quest to find the perfect outfit for his date with Sans. The problem was judging what degree of formal wear would be adequate for a picnic date. The dating guide hadn't specified what would be good and coming up with his own conclusions left him stressed. What if he got it wrong? Would Sans care? Papyrus opted to think that his brother would be uninterested however, the latter had been very different ever since they began dating. Perhaps he wouldn't have cared once upon a time but not anymore.

The taller skeleton groaned and smacked his gloved hands over his face in exasperation. It was early in the morning. He had yet to make the picnic basket or fetch a bouquet of flowers. He began fearing that he would run out of time if he didn't pick an outfit already. The absolute last thing he wanted was to disappoint Sans. He didn't even want to begin thinking of all the negative repercussions that would result if his fears came to be.

Papyrus shook his head and looked over his outfits once more. He didn't have time to dally any longer. He elected to take the nice suit he rarely ever wore. It was possible that it was too fancy but he supposed that was better than not being fancy enough. He put his other clothes away and grabbed his coin purse before waltzing out of his room. He stopped just outside the door and glanced towards Sans's room. His brother was still sleeping and that was good. The date wasn't a surprised but the activity was and he hoped he could keep it that way for a good while longer.

He left his home quietly and ran to Snowdin where he easily located the shop next to the Inn. There he bought the last bouquet of flowers and he was glad he got there when he did because the next customer had come seeking the purchase he had recently made. The flowers he chose were nice and colourful if a bit wilted. Sans wouldn't mind, would he? He would just be enamoured by the gift, right? Papyrus hoped he was jumping to the right conclusions.

When he came back home, he placed the bouquet on the kitchen table. Sans was still sleeping and that was good. However, if he was going to stick to the schedule he had developed the past week, Papyrus only had a few scarce hours left to organise the picnic basket. He hurriedly made the spaghetti they would be eating and took special care in making it extra delicious. A date was important. He had to impress his brother which meant he had to outdo himself to an extraordinary degree. As difficult as it may seem to do, Papyrus believed he could do it. He _was_ the Great Papyrus after all!

The skeleton worked diligently, his chest bursting with determination. He only had one goal with this date: amaze Sans to the point of silence. After everything the latter had done for him over the course of his life, Papyrus felt like it was the least he could do. So he stifled the disgusted feeling that arose at the thought of having to kiss his brother on the mouth and hold him like a lover. He made the best spaghetti sauce ever – one that would surely have Undyne weeping with pride. He then packed it in a container and set it aside, repeating the gesture with the home cooked pasta.

Papyrus managed to store the food into the basket he found along with a fresh loaf of bread before he heard his brother wander down the stairs. He jolted at the first creak from the top of the staircase and hastily covered everything with the folded red and white checkered blanket in the nick of time. Sans appeared at the kitchen's entrance dressed for a night at Mettaton's profligate restaurant in Hotland or something equally extravagant. He wore an ivory dress shirt with a dark blue tie and black dress pants. It was only as he beheld him that Papyrus felt silly about his outfit.

"hey." Sans said quietly.

"Hello." Papyrus returned.

They bathed in a tense silence. Sans's eyes drifted to the ground and hesitated to look in any other direction. He shifted in place uncomfortably, wanting to speak but uncertain all the same. Whether or not he would develop the resolution to express the thoughts plaguing his mind, Papyrus would never know. After what felt like forever and, inexplicably, a few seconds, he couldn't help himself and burst into laughter. He startled Sans who uttered a tentative chuckle and patiently waited for him to calm down.

"what's so funny, bro?" Sans asked.

"Look at us; we're so silly!" He snickered with a sigh. "We're dressed for an audience with King Asgore, not a picnic in Waterfall!"

"i-is that what we're doing?" The smaller skeleton queried, blushing when Papyrus nodded in affirmation, "well, then i suppose you're right…"

Sans's gaze fell to the ground and remained there as he began nervously tugging at his dress shirt. The other skeleton quickly realised that his brother felt embarrassed with himself. "Don't worry, Sans," Papyrus reassured, wandering to him to take his hands in his, "You still look handsome."

Sans blushed deeply and sunk his head in-between his shoulders, "t-thanks…so do you…" he added shyly.

"We should probably go change though." Papyrus concluded, releasing his hands. "It wouldn't do to get our nicer clothes messy."

"y-yeah…" Sans agreed, and it was only then that Papyrus noticed there was something else on his mind. He didn't have time to ask about it before the former got to it, "pap…i wanted to talk to you about something…"

"Yes?" Papyrus asked, and he hated that a part of him hoped whatever would come next would lead to the end of their romantic relationship.

"it's about us…" Sans continued tensely and took a deep breath, "i've noticed…that we've both been acting different lately…like we're _robotic_ around each other, to say the least…"

Papyrus held in a grimace and nodded, "I've also noticed." He admitted. It was easy to see how Sans had changed but he could also spot divergences with his own previous behaviour. Papyrus knew that he was much more removed and reserved nowadays. He didn't speak his mind quite as often and found himself drifting into his thoughts against his conscious will – much to Undyne's annoyance.

"g-good." Sans sighed in relief, like all he was worried about was that he had imagined his concerns, "well, the reason i'm bringing this up is because…i don't want things to continue like that. i don't want our relationship to change, i don't want us to act differently around each other just because we're…we're…"

"Lovers." Papyrus supplied. The word felt like poison in his mouth.

"y-yeah!" Sans exclaimed gratefully, blushing harder as well. "i mean, we're still us right?"

"Yes." Papyrus agreed despite his own personal opinion. They had stopped being themselves when he had messed up and confused his brother into thinking he loved him romantically. "I'm sorry, I thought the evolution in our relationship meant we both _had_ to change."

"i don't think that always has to be the case." Sans said, "not for us, anyway. with that said…we really should probably change..."

Papyrus forced out a light hearted chuckle, "Yes, I agree." He then glanced at the table, spotting his bouquet just as Sans was about to leave to change. "Ah! Wait a second—" the smaller skeleton halted, glancing back at him curiously until he extended the flowers towards him. Papyrus shifted awkwardly, unsure how to present to gift, "This…is for you. For our date."

Sans's face flushed blue as it often did in Papyrus's presence. He took the flowers with shaky hands and struggled to find the adequate words for a response. "i don't know how i didn't notice these before…" he admitted and, after a moment, a light smile spread on his face. Papyrus struggled to pinpoint the emotion his brother bore so boldly, but it made his heart skip a beat. Though not the most accurate word, Sans certainly looked happy. "they're…lovely. thank you."

Papyrus took a minute to catch the last remark. He blinked stupidly at Sans, suddenly pulled out of his thoughts. He wasn't quite sure what to say so instead he lunged for one of the cabinets. "Y-yes, well…" he stammered, rustling through the cupboards until he found a glass vase. He turned on the sink and poured in water, "You can just put them in this."

Sans took the vase with his free hand and nodded. "thanks pap." He said in a near whisper.

They returned upstairs into their respective rooms. Papyrus peeled off his suit and placed it back on its hanger neatly. He paused when he unbuttoned his dress shirt, catching a glimpse of himself in his full length mirror. He looked far more casual without the blazer and his sleeves rolled up. Would that be adequate date-wear? Perhaps for the book, but Sans's words rang in his head reminding him of how he wanted them to still be themselves.

The taller skeleton took out a shirt and a pair of pants that used to be a part of his everyday wardrobe until he and Sans made his battle body. Since its creation, there hadn't been a point in wearing anything else. However, though his brother wanted things to remain the same, Papyrus supposed the clothes ought to resurface then to appease the dating guide's will. The clothes were casual but unique because he didn't wear them as often anymore.

He thus stepped out of his room just as Sans was passing in front of his. He looked his brother over quickly, noting his light yet puzzling snicker until his gaze fell upon his shirt. Papyrus went rigid. It read: "I ulna want to be with you".

"what's up, bro?" he attempted asking evenly.

"The date is cancelled." Papyrus declared and walked right back into his room.

Sans bellowed with laughter. He doubled over, cradling his void stomach area as he walked in after him. "aww, come on, pap!" he chuckled, "all of the shirts i own have puns."

"Fine." Papyrus groaned, glaring half-heartedly at the smaller skeleton, "However!" he conditioned sternly, shoving his index in the other's face, "There will be no puns for the duration of this date!"

"but pap—" Sans whined.

"No buts!" Papyrus interrupted.

"okay…" he sighed.

"Fantastic." Papyrus grinned and extended his whole hand, "Let's go."

Sans took it, blushing nervously. Papyrus lead the way down to the kitchen where he grabbed the picnic basket and then they were on their way. They held hands the whole time and they were lucky as they didn't cross paths with anyone else. That being said, Papyrus only really began relaxing once they veered off the main path in Waterfall. They ventured through the fields of black grass with scattered bright, blue weeds and echo flowers. They continued for a moment longer until the taller skeleton spotted the shimmering stones above.

He stopped and nudged his brother. "Look." He said, gesturing upwards.

Sans spared him a curious look before glancing up. The expression he bore was wonderful. His eyes widened in awe and his mouth fell slightly open as he exhaled a gasp. Papyrus couldn't remember the last time he had seen his brother like that.

He released Sans's hand and dropped the basket by his feet. While his brother continued gazing at the shimmering rocks, he took the checkered blanket and placed it on the ground. Then Papyrus moved the basket in its center, consequently taking a seat and beckoning Sans out of his stupor to do the same. They sat in a building awkward silence as Papyrus took out plates and then the food containers.

"Can you cut the bread?" Papyrus asked, breaking the silence.

"y-yeah…no problem…" Sans muttered.

He summoned a sharp magic bone and cut the loaf in even slices. He placed it back in the basket just as Papyrus finished dividing the spaghetti he brought along.

"Dinner spaghetti!" He claimed boastfully, pushing a plate towards his brother, "Everything is made from scratch – with the exception of the ingredients I mixed together, of course."

"thanks…" Sans smiled and stared at his plate.

Papyrus didn't understand why he wasn't eating it. "Uhh…" he uttered and cleared his throat, "T-the noodles themselves are finely aged in oaken caskets – the ones I keep behind the house. It's how they get their silky smooth texture."

Sans peered closer, examining the food. "hun." But he still wasn't eating. Why wasn't he eating?

"T-the sauce, I have to admit, isn't made with the normal degree of passion." He added nervously, "You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you…"

"it still smells delicious." Sans assured.

 _Then why aren't you eating it?_ Papyrus shouted in his mind. "G…Good. Well…I'm glad."

With a heavy sigh, he looked away from his brother and fixed his plate of spaghetti. He didn't understand why Sans wasn't eating. He had praised his food after an elaborate explanation concerning the noodles and the sauce. He didn't seem disgusted – not that he ever did; Sans _loved_ his cooking. He always finished his entire plate, once accidentally eating the plate too. Why was this time any different? The longer he waited, the colder the dish got. Though, he supposed, it was nothing a little fire magic couldn't fix.

Papyrus peaked at his brother rapidly. The smaller skeleton was tilting his plate around, moving the spaghetti in circular motions. He seemed to be waiting. Was he supposed to kiss him? Was that a thing people who dated did; kissing before meals? If it was, Papyrus thought it was ridiculous. There was already enough kissing as it was. As such, he elected to ignore the possible silent demand and eat his food. He plunged his hand in the basket to fish out a fork and…

"I forgot the utensils!" He exclaimed when he couldn't find any.

Sans laughed, "i was wondering when you'd figure it out."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Papyrus whined.

"how was i supposed to know you forgot to pack them?" Sans defended, "you were essentially keeping this a secret from me."

"No, I meant why didn't you ask me for a fork?" Papyrus groaned. He was so disappointed that they wouldn't get to eat his meal. Despite not having been able to utilise the same amount of passion as he normally did for the sauce, he was rather proud of the final product. It was a shame it all went to waste.

"hey, don't worry about it, pap!" Sans reassured, "look—" he snapped his fingers and summoned two small bones which he held like chopsticks, "we can just use these instead. no big deal."

"But the sauce?" Papyrus asked.

Sans reached for a piece of bread, "we scoop it up with this." He grinned. "problem solved."

"I guess…but I still feel silly for forgetting…" Papyrus mumbled.

"don't sweat it. it's nothing a little magic couldn't fix."

Surprisingly, the conversation didn't end there. Sans and Papyrus continued chatting easily as they ate the spaghetti. They joked and reminisced about things that had happened in the past which then branched into different types of conversation without their realising it. The next thing Papyrus knew, they had finished feasting on the spaghetti and were lying next to each other on the checkered blanket, staring at the glowing rocks on the cavern ceiling. At that point, they weren't talking anymore but the silence was comfortable.

"Hey, Sans?" Papyrus asked.

Sans glanced at him, "yea?"

"Are you…happy?" He continued hesitantly.

Sans seemed surprised by the question. "yes." He answered, "Are you?"

 _No_. Papyrus thought immediately. He was thankful his brother couldn't read minds.

"Your happiness is my happiness." Papyrus replied, taking his hand.

They laid there for a moment longer, wasting time away. It was nice for Sans and bearable for Papyrus who lied to himself about the nature of the picnic to pull more enjoyment from it. Eventually, they had to gather the picnic supplies and head home. Sans had work the next day whereas Papyrus was expected to meet with Undyne to train. The silence in which they had laid for most of the afternoon persisted on the walk back home. For some reason, the hand holding was more sufferable this time around.

When they got to the house, Papyrus was about to walk in and head for the kitchen but he stopped himself. He remembered the dating guide had made a big deal about scoring a kiss once the date was over. Even though he didn't want to, Sans probably expected it from him.

"I…I had fun." He said, pausing at the door.

"me too." Sans replied softly and began blushing, "t-thanks for the date."

"It was my pleasure." Papyrus returned a bit more tensely than he would have liked. He took a deep breath before continuing with: "S-Sans! May I kiss you?"

Sans jolted in surprise from the question. His face was consumed abruptly by a dark blue blush. "a-ah…um…yes. yes, i'd like that." He answered shyly.

They faced each other awkwardly. Sans was staring at the ground like his life depended on it whereas Papyrus fixed him intently. It took him a moment to build up the courage necessary to lean down and close the space between them. This kiss was a tad longer than all the other ones he had previously given his brother and the latter melted into the contact. Strangely, Papyrus didn't hate this one as much as all the other ones.

 _I love Sans_. He told himself. He wondered if his lie was finally starting to work.


	6. Chapter 6

Things with Sans had gotten a lot easier ever since their date. Papyrus didn't know if it was because he was finally getting accustomed to the mandatory romantic gestures expected of him or if that brief talk he had had with his brother about still being themselves had something to do with it. Whatever it was, it made kissing far less deplorable and handholding more insignificant, and he was grateful for it. Papyrus was glad that the horrible thoughts that had once pervaded his mind, reminding him that his new bond with Sans was both unnatural and disgusting, was mostly gone – or at the very least was much quieter than before.

In the weeks following their date, the two had fallen into a new routine – or rather stability. Now that Papyrus thought about it, maybe _that's_ what helped with everything. Knowing that Sans wanted a quick kiss when they met each other in the kitchen every morning and when either of them returned from work the last at the end of the day, and once more before heading off the bed helped a lot more than one might expect. It allowed him to brace himself for it and mentally prepare himself to keep his charade going as convincingly as possible.

And it must have been incredibly convincing as it was impacting Sans rather positively, Papyrus noticed. His brother now typically woke up a handful of minutes after he finished preparing himself in the morning and worked a lot harder. The amount of hard work and dedication Sans now placed in both of his jobs was very visible. Just last week, the smaller skeleton had been awarded employee of the month at his second job. Granted he was the _only_ employee manning the hot dog and hot cat stand, but the fact that his boss had gotten around to naming him employee of the month all the same was a testament to the great work he had been doing.

More importantly, however, Sans seemed so happy. He always bore what seemed to be a permanent grin but until they had started dating, it had seemed fake. Like Sans had only smiled to humour the world into thinking he was happy if not then content. Now Papyrus felt like his smirk was meaningful and it warmed his heart. All he ever wanted was for his brother to be truly happy and it seemed that in that moment he had finally achieved his goal. It was upon making such a remark that he also realised how insignificant the sacrifice he had to make was for such a reward. Pretending to be in love was worth it to see Sans like this every day from now on.

"pap." Sans uttered, startling Papyrus out of his thoughts.

The taller skeleton jolted violently, nearly dropping the wooden spoon he had been holding. Luckily, he managed to catch after juggling around with it. "Gah! You scared me!" He whined, "What is it?"

Sans smirked, "now i don't mean to question your cooking, you _are_ a master…" he then shifted his gaze to the pots on the stove, "…but, are your noodles supposed to be on fire?"

Papyrus glanced back agitatedly, jaw nearly dropping at the sight of uncooked spaghetti noodles engulfed in flames. "How is that even possible!?" He shouted as he ran to the sink. He filled a dirty pot that had yet to be washed with water and threw it on the burning noodles, promptly extinguishing the flames.

"nice reflexes." Sans commented, wandering over to the steaming stove to inspect. "i've never seen you mess up while cooking before. something on your mind?"

"No…" Papyrus pouted and turned off the cooker, "This is horrible. Now we've got nothing to eat for supper."

"we could just order out from grillby's." Sans shrugged. "haven't eaten there in a while."

"You know I don't like greasy food." Papyrus stated. "I'd rather eat something healthy. Like spaghetti."

"i can just tell him to hold the grease." Sans smiled like his proposal was actually doable, "and increase the healthy, of course."

Papyrus would have rolled his eyes if he physically could. "I suppose I can make an exception for today…" he mumbled.

They pulled on their shoes – or rather, Papyrus did. Sans slipped on his fluffy pink slippers. The taller skeleton scolded him with his eyes but the former did a fantastic job at ignoring him and pretending he wasn't judging him. They held hands when first leaving the house but as they entered Snowdin and noticed a lot of monsters still hovering about in the open, their hands drifted apart. Sans seemed to understand that despite Papyrus seemingly reciprocating his love, he was the only one who wouldn't view it as strange. Papyrus wondered if that impacted him negatively. If it did, he wished there was something he could do to make it stop.

A couple of monsters waved and shouted hellos or good evenings at them on their way to Grillby's. The friendly greetings only increased tenfold when they walked into the aforementioned establishment – though they were mostly directed at Sans. It seemed that all of his friends and acquaintances had decided to gather at Grillby's for a night out. Greater Dog was quick to jump out of his seat and tackle Sans to the ground, much to Papyrus's grief. Sans only had 1hp and it always made him nervous when people decided to be a little too rough for his tastes with his brother.

"hey, big guy! good to see you too!" Sans laughed and gently pushed Greater Dog from him. "afraid i didn't bring any dog treats though."

Doggo who then seemed excited about Sans's presence effectively lost interest and returned to his mug of mead.

"Sansy! It's been so long!" Buncrazy declared as they hopped over, "We were all wondering where you've been!"

"working, mostly." Sans replied as Papyrus helped him up and then dusted him.

"Yeah, right!" Big Mouth barked while the other bellowed with laughter. "And I suppose the barrier's down too?"

"no, i'm serious!" Sans insisted, "i even got employee of the month!"

"I don't believe you." Red Bird stated, "The Sans I know would sleep rather than work enough to get such a reward."

Papyrus frowned. The monsters in the pub may have been his brother's friends, but they sure weren't being kind nor supportive of him in that moment. Why did they find it so hard to believe that Sans had finally decided to make an effort? The longer their doubts were voiced despite Sans assuring them of the contrary, the more he was getting upset.

"Stop bothering him. You're being rude." Grillby intervened with an exasperated sigh. Papyrus was thankful that he didn't have to get involved. He wasn't quite sure what he would have said anyhow. Some of the patrons looked desolately at the ground and muttered apologies that were mostly directed at Grillby, but he ignored them, opting to say: "Hello Sans."

Sans smirked at the flame monster and lead the way to his counter. "hey, grillby." He greeted as he took a seat.

"Papyrus." He nodded curtly in his direction.

"Hello." The taller skeleton responded meekly, sitting next to his brother.

"What'll it be today?" Grillby inquired, leaning against the counter.

Papyrus opened his mouth to speak but then figuratively bit his tongue. He had never gone to Grillby's before; at least, not to order food. He didn't know what was on the menu and turned his lost gaze to his brother. Luckily, Sans seemed to have it covered.

"we'll take two burgers and fries to go." He said winking, "oh, and hold the grease on one of them."

Papyrus felt himself blush in embarrassment at the latter remark. He glared at his brother, feeling all the more mortified when Grillby gave them both confused looks. "Sans! You dummy!" he hissed, smacking him gently and Sans laughed. "Excuse him and ignore that. Sometimes he thinks he's funny when he's really not."

"i think i'm hilarious." The smaller skeleton snickered.

"Exactly my point." Papyrus frowned.

"Right…" Grillby muttered slowly, "Well, wait just a moment."

The brothers relaxed at the bar, chatting easily with some of the neighbouring patrons. Though they didn't have much of a chance to indulge into too much of a deep conversation as Grillby quickly came back with the order. He had packed the food in a brown paper bag which he then pushed towards them.

"I'll add it to your tab?" Grillby guessed.

"nah, not this time." Sans said, pulling out his wallet. He offered him the money, "this time i've got cash on hand."

Grillby looked both surprised and impressed. However, he said nothing and took the money, counting through the bills with a gentle nod. Sans took the paper bag and was about to turn away with Papyrus when they were both stopped.

"Sans…" Grillby started and then paused like he was trying to find the right words. "I'm proud of you." He finally decided, "Keep working hard."

Papyrus's mouth fell agape at the kind words. He felt so happy that at least one person could see the progress his brother had already made. And if he felt the way he did when the words weren't even directed at him, he couldn't even begin to fathom how Sans felt. His brother was stunned into wordlessness, staring at his flame monster friend in utter awe.

"Thanks…" he finally said and flashed him a wide grin, "I will."

They walked home in mostly silence. Papyrus couldn't stop thinking about how grateful he was to Grillby to have said what he did. For a monster of little words, when he did speak he made it count. Papyrus almost wanted to do something to thank him but he knew showing gratitude with a gift to someone for sparing kind words wasn't normal or necessary. Heck, it might even be impolite. So instead he quaked with joy on their walk home – joy which desperately needed an escape lest it result in Papyrus exploding.

"pap." Sans uttered once they got to their front door, "you're strangely quie—"

Papyrus didn't allow him to finish. He took his face in both of his hands and pressed their mouths together. The gesture was unexpected on both of their parts, but it did provide the release the former had been looking for. When they broke apart, the joy was a lot more containable and Sans's face was entirely blue.

"You're blue now." Papyrus chuckled. He hated himself for making such a Sans joke.

"w-why…?" Sans croaked, flustered.

"I'm happy that people see you the way I do." Papyrus smiled gently, "Grillby's not the only person who's proud of you, you know? I'm also very, _very_ proud."

Sans's mouth fell open with a gentle gasp. He then looked at the ground, flustered. "Thanks…" he said quietly.

Papyrus then took his hand, "Come on. Let's go eat." And lead the way into the house.

They ate the food where they always did: on the sofa while watching some TV. The only difference from most of the other times was that Sans was essentially cuddled into Papyrus. It was something he had discovered about his brother when they started dating, he was an incredible cuddle bug. It was one of the things the taller skeleton got used to fairly quickly because he actually enjoyed it. Sans was like a teddy bear except bonier but equally as soft. He fit nicely against Papyrus, which was fantastic on its own.

"so hey…" Sans muttered as he finished his last fry, "i've got three days off coming up…maybe we could do something?"

"Of course." Papyrus smiled and draped his arm around his brother's shoulder to draw him in closer. "Just tell me when and I'll cancel my training sessions with Undyne if I have to."

"okay." Sans all but whispered as he casted his dishes aside.

Though Papyrus would have preferred he clean after himself immediately, he supposed he could let it slide for today. He allowed his brother to snuggle up against him and find a comfortable position for his head. They watched TV and cuddled for the rest of the night and it was nice. Things were looking up for the both of them. Grillby recognized the effort Sans now put in everything and soon more people would also take note. He was happier and dating him wasn't as much of a chore either.

 _I love Sans_. Papyrus thought, and it rang a little truer today.


	7. Chapter 7

The problem with the dating guide was how limiting its suggestions were to Papyrus. When it came to date ideas, there were so little of them that were actually feasible in the Underground. Though, he supposed the guide was only meant to educate and give guidelines for the _first_ date. Now that he was on a second one, it probably expected him to utilise what he had learned and figure it out for himself. So Papyrus thought and thought and thought and the next thing he knew, a few days had passed and he had to take Sans out to do something – anything. But he didn't know what.

Repeating the first date seemed like a bad idea. It showed a lack of creativity among other things. Despite how he still wasn't charmed with the idea of dating his brother – and that would probably never change – he didn't want to give off the impression that he didn't care. He did care. He loved Sans…just not in the way the latter would like; but he didn't need to know that.

Papyrus thus woke up early that morning to try to find something to do. He thought about what Sans liked and tried to think if he could make a date out of it. The first thing he thought of was ketchup, but it was quickly discarded. How was he supposed to make a date out of ketchup? He supposed they could go to the production factory in Hotland and take a tour, however Sans liked _eating_ it and not necessarily watching the manufacturing process. Regardless, the idea didn't appeal to Papyrus and attending such a tour was the one thing he wasn't going to put himself through. Now, what else? Sans liked science, notably astrology. But there were no stars to be seen in the Underground and gazing at the sparkling rocks would be too similar to their first date, even with the addition of his brother's telescope.

The taller skeleton groaned and paced anxiously in his room, rubbing at his temples. This wasn't working out and he was running out of time. Soon Sans would wake and he would have to present him with an activity. What should they do? Sans liked sleeping. Papyrus grimaced and reprimanded himself for having thought of something so stupid. As much as he would probably enjoy just napping all day, Papyrus had noticed how his brother had become far more active and he didn't want that spark to fade. With that established, he concluded nothing his brother liked could be turned into a date no matter how hard he tried.

What to do? Papyrus thought back on the suggestions in the dating guide. It seemed like his only option at the moment, however he struggled to remember much of anything in his anxious state. All he could think of were the impossible ones, like going to the beach, visiting a zoo, or trekking through a mountain. He sat down on his bed in despair, encouraging himself to remember the scarce possible options the book had provided. He shut his eyes and concentrated as best he could before getting hit with an epiphany. It wasn't the best or most fun idea in the world, but it would encourage Sans to keep being active: a stroll through nature – or, in this case, through Snowdin forest.

Papyrus left his room mostly satisfied with his idea. He would have preferred something else but this was the best he could do at the last minute. He waited for Sans in the living room and they spent the rest of the morning watching TV. They ate lunch before departing for their walk as they had already had a picnic and couldn't do so again – not that Papyrus thought it would be enjoyable in the snow.

Their walk started off dull. They greeted a few people while passing through Snowdin but never engaged in too long of a conversation. Papyrus didn't have much to say and Sans didn't seem to want to talk in general, which the former thought was strange but didn't question it. After crossing the bridge out of town and walking down the cliff to the more dense forestry, they began holding hands. At that point, the smaller skeleton no longer seemed bored and bore a wide smile he seemed to be attempting to hide.

But things were still very awkward.

"So…" Papyrus started inelegantly; he wanted to liven things up with a good chat but didn't know what to say. "How's work?"

"good, good…" Sans answered with short nods, "business is booming at the hot dog and hot cat shack and there are still no humans emerging from the ruins or, well, anywhere else."

"Well, that's…" Papyrus said slowly, unsure how to finish his thought, "Good?"

"yeah, i guess." Sans shrugged.

They fell into silence again. Papyrus sighed internally as he struggled to think of something else to say. The last thing he wanted was for this to become a boring date.

"um…how's training?" Sans asked.

"Very good!" Papyrus replied enthusiastically, "I've been progressing a lot – both in fighting and perfecting my spaghetti!"

"i could tell." Sans agreed, "today's spaghetti was worlds better than the ones you made before."

"Thank you, Sans!" Papyrus thanked, "That's very kind of you to say."

Sans nodded and then there was more silence. More _suffocating_ silence. Papyrus didn't know what to do. He didn't understand why talking had suddenly become so hard. Delving into a conversation with his brother had never been difficult before, even when they first started dating and their relationship was awkward and tense. Maybe he just had to be honest that he hadn't chosen the best idea. Sans would understand, wouldn't he?

"Look, Sans…" Papyrus began nervously, "I'm sorry I chose such a terrible idea for a date…"

"oh…" Sans muttered quietly and started blushing, "i-i didn't think this was a date…"

Papyrus looked at him quizzically, "…really?"

"yeah," Sans smiled, "when i told you i had three days off coming up, i just… i just thought we would hang out, you know? not everything we do together _has_ to be a date."

"Oh." Papyrus uttered in realisation. He wished the book had told him so because now he felt very foolish.

"besides…" Sans added and gently bumped his arm as they continued trekking through snow and pine trees, "if this _were_ a date, i'd still be enjoying myself. i like spending time with you, pap, no matter what we're doing." There was a beat of silence as Papyrus regarded his brother. He could tell he had been genuine and now the taller skeleton was astonished as he came to realise just how much Sans had changed for the better in what felt like so little time. "going out's also fun, especially when i don't have to go to work." He finished with a light chuckle.

"I'm glad to hear that…" Papyrus admitted, looking away and staring at the trees up ahead, "I just wish I could have made this a little more exciting—"

Suddenly, Papyrus's eyes caught something up ahead. Between the trees, he could see glimpses of a frozen lake. What with how they had walked down a hill and rounded a cliff just as they got out of Snowdin, the skeleton was certain it was the same lake one could see from the bridge filling the gap on the path to the ruins. An idea thus crawled into his head and he grinned. He knew how to make this walk more fun.

"pap—"

"Come on, Sans!" Papyrus declared loudly and sprinted forward, tugging the smaller skeleton along. Sans stumbled and dragged a bit, struggling to keep up but, luckily for him, their sprint soon came to a halt. "There!"

They stood next to the wide frozen lake. The ice was smooth and covered with a light dust of snow. That being said, it was more than in the perfect condition to skate. Papyrus glanced back at Sans, finding him doubled over and breathing heavily. Though he was more active, he was still out of shape. Papyrus didn't doubt that would eventually change given enough time.

"wh…what was that all about…?" Sans wheezed, forcing himself upright.

"Skating!" He exclaimed, gesticulating animatedly and stepped on the ice. It was very thick and they would surely be fine. "We'll skate; that'll make things more fun!"

"i mean i was already having fun…" Sans mumbled, "but we also don't have skates…"

"An easy problem to solve!" Papyrus proclaimed. He summoned bones that were sharpened on the length rather than the tip, handing two to Sans.

"well that's convenient." He commented.

"I call it pragmatic." Papyrus grinned and sat in the snow. He reached at the back of his battle body and untied the long string that formed into a crisscross at the back. It didn't actually serve to hold his top shut or anything, it had mostly been placed there because he thought it looked cool. Now his battle body was a little less cool but the string he then proceeded to cut into four could always be replaced. "Here," he added and gave two pieces of string to Sans, "Use this to tie the bones to your feet."

In a few short moments, they were standing on the ice. Papyrus tested out the makeshift skates, finding they were just as good as real ones. He glided over the ice with ease and grace whereas Sans wobbled and moved without wanting to. He seemed so awkward with his arms extended to help maintain balance and with his eyes focused on his feet. It was a funny sight to behold. Papyrus hated to bring it to an end.

"How are you doing?" He asked with a wide smirk upon skating over to his brother.

"i'm not even doing anything but i'm moving backwards…" Sans grumbled in confusion.

Papyrus couldn't help but laugh. He looked kind of cute when he was frustrated. "Give me your hands." He said and took them instead of waiting for Sans to extend them on his own.

"wait, pap—" Sans protested as he immediately lost balance.

He crashed into the taller skeleton's chest, causing them both to lose balance. Sans toppled over onto Papyrus and both remained mute for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Sans, you're so clumsy." Papyrus chuckled.

"i wasn't ready…" Sans defended as he moved off his brother and sat on the ice, "not that i wouldn't have fallen had i _been_ ready but…"

Papyrus laughed as he got on his feet, "It's alright." He said and stretched his hand. Sans hesitated for a moment before eventually taking it. He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet but effectively lost balance as soon as he was on them. He fell against Papyrus again but the latter was ready to catch him this time and neither fell.

"stars…" Sans sighed in exasperation, "my legs are like jelly…"

"You've just got to steel them." Papyrus advised, "Try standing properly."

Sans nodded. He wobbled and nearly fell a few times but after a couple of short minutes, he was standing upright albeit heavily relying on his brother for support.

"Good job!" Papyrus laughed; teaching his brother how to skate properly was fun. "Now I'm going to start moving backwards, try not to fall, okay?"

"okay." Sans breathed and tensed with concentration.

The taller skeleton slowly started skating backwards. He watched his brother attentively, when he seemed to struggle, he slowed and allowed him to regain his balance. "You're doing great." Papyrus encouraged as he began moving a bit faster. Sans hardly responded what with being so focused on not falling, but the former didn't mind. He began moving in large circles at a leisurely pace. He enjoyed the sound of his improvised skates gliding over the ice and the feel of the cool air against his bones as he moved round and round.

After a while, when Sans seemed to have gotten the hang of not falling, he slowed to a halt. "that was fun." Sans admitted.

"Yes and now that you can stand," Papyrus grinned and slowly let go of his brother's hands, "You're going to try moving on your own."

"wait—" Sans panicked and grabbed at Papyrus before he could retract his hands entirely. "i don't think i'm ready…"

"You'll be fine." Papyrus reassured, "It's really not difficult either!"

"says you." Sans muttered.

"Of course!" Papyrus boasted, "Think of it like – like those times we slid on our floor with our socks. It's really easy! Don't lift your feet from the ice; just push."

Sans didn't seem convinced but slowly released the grip he had on Papyrus. The latter backed up bit by bit and watched the other carefully. The smaller skeleton nearly lost balance but regained it. He didn't seem confident in the least, practically glaring at his feet and threatening them not move him without his consent. Papyrus stifled laughter. He had never seen Sans like that before, but it was really cute.

"You can do it, Sans!" Papyrus encouraged. "Just slide towards me."

Sans looked up, conveying his worry solely through the gaze he offered his brother. He gulped thickly and slowly moved his left foot forward. Somehow, he started moving backwards instead.

"oh come on!" Sans groaned and Papyrus couldn't keep his laughter contained anymore. It exploded and he bent over, hand pressed against his chest as he let it all out. "well i'm glad someone's having fun…"

"Maybe skating isn't for you." Papyrus concluded as he wandered over.

"maybe." Sans shrugged and then blushed nervously, "but…could we do the thing…?" Papyrus gave him a confused look, "like holding hands and skating around."

Papyrus felt himself blush a bit. "Of course." He agreed with a gentle smile.

He took his brother's hands and skated towards the center of the lake. They skated for a while. Time and time again, Sans would try moving on his own but would fail miserably and asked to be dragged around by Papyrus instead. He rarely ever fell when the taller skeleton was moving him but when he did, it was always in his arms. The activity quickly took a romantic turn – something Papyrus would have preferred not happening because it soured the moment for him. However, he forced the feeling aside. Sans was happy and that was all that mattered.

They stopped much later, moving back to the area of the lake from which they had first arrived. Sans collapsed on the snow, face down in utter exhaustion whereas Papyrus sat down next to him. He annulled the bone magic he had used to make the skates, leaving them with loops of string around their feet. Sans shook his off fairly quickly, losing one of his slippers in the process.

"That was fun." Papyrus commented, reaching for his brother's slipper.

Sans groaned his response.

"You didn't learn how to skate, but at least you don't really fall anymore." Papyrus added optimistically while putting the slipper back on Sans's foot.

Sans groaned again.

"We better head back now." Papyrus huffed, glancing upwards.

"too tired." Sans muttered, voice somewhat muffled by the snow, "i'll sleep here tonight."

"Don't be silly." Papyrus chided and poked his side, barely earning a reaction. Sans must have been more tired than he thought. The smaller skeleton hardly ever did anything too physical. "Fine." Papyrus said and got to his feet, "The Great Papyrus will carry you home."

Sans rolled onto his side and extended his arms towards his brother to be lifted as a child would. Papyrus scoffed, rolling his eyes, but picked him up all the same. He held him with two hands supporting his bottom while Sans leaned his head on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around his neck. It wasn't too long after he began walking back that Sans fell asleep. He snored softly in his ear.

 _Sans is happy._ Papyrus thought. _And that's good_.

When they got home, he placed his brother on his bed and tucked him in. He then went to the kitchen and prepared the supper spaghetti, desperately ignoring the feeling of dread filling his bones.

 _I love Sans_. He reminded himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**In the event that not everyone knew, the lack of capitalization in Sans's dialogue is deliberate.**

* * *

Papyrus was sleeping soundly until he wasn't. He wasn't quite sure what woke him up as the house was deathly silent, but a sick feeling had his nonexistent stomach churning. He felt uncomfortable, like something was wrong but nothing seemed wrong. As such, the taller skeleton tried to go back to sleep but his discomfort only intensified to the point where returning to sleep was rendered useless at the moment. After hopelessly sitting in his bed for a beat, Papyrus concluded that perhaps all he needed was to investigate the house. If he could prove to himself that everything was alright, he would easily be able to return to sleep.

Thus, the skeleton quietly got out of his bed and silently walked out of his room. He carefully chose on which floor planks to step to avoid their screeching, succeeding most of the time. The hardest part was walking down the stairs which he accomplished with limited success. However, Sans was a notoriously heavy sleeper so despite the noise, he was sure the former was still sleeping.

Papyrus strolled around their small house. He inspected the front door, finding it locked, and then wandered to the kitchen that was as clean as he had left it before he went off to bed. Everything was fine and in place but the horrible feeling only increased. It almost seemed pointless to try to convince himself that everything was alright. Maybe he was just going through a random period of insomnia? That happened to people, didn't it?

With no better explanation to justify his building discomfort, Papyrus walked back up the stairs and headed to his room. He paused at the door, glancing towards Sans's room. He hadn't checked there to make sure everything was okay though the skeleton was sure it was. He hardly ever went into Sans's room but that never kept him awake at night. Perhaps he should just give it a quick peek…? It wouldn't hurt, would it? Sans was a heavy sleeper, so the intrusion wouldn't wake him and, best case scenario, seeing that everything was okay in there might make Papyrus feel better.

Because there was nothing to lose, Papyrus quietly wandered into his brother's room. He gently took the knob and began turning it, pausing when he thought he heard a choked whimper. Papyrus consequently waited for an additional moment in total immobility and effectively heard the sound again. Was Sans okay?

"Sans…?" He called out softly and gave a light tap against the door.

If his brother was awake, he didn't want to intrude on his privacy. That would be rude. But he didn't come. He didn't even speak. Was he sleeping? Papyrus tapped against the door slightly louder just in case he hadn't previously been heard, but the lack of response persisted. With a deep breath, he finally turned the knob the whole way and pushed the door open.

A low screech resounded as he opened it just enough to squeeze through. Sans's room was bathed in darkness. The curtains were drawn completely, blocking any and all light from the outside. It took a moment for Papyrus's eyes to get adjusted to the abyss. Once they did, he carefully wandered towards Sans's bedside. His brother slept on a decent mattress with no bed framing. It hardly looked comfortable but he never complained about it. Papyrus always thought it didn't feel right but Sans continuously shut him down whenever he tried to protest.

Regardless, he knelt down and touched his brother's arm. He recoiled immediately, surprised by how damp the fabric of his shirt was. Upon inspection, he realised his brother was sweating profusely. Another whimper escaped his brother and Papyrus was left puzzled. Was he sick?

"Sans…" Papyrus whispered a bit louder. He forced his brother onto his back to get a look at his face. It was scrunched up in a pained grimace, and his mouth would move as though he were speaking though he uttered no words. _A nightmare?_ Papyrus continued guessing. Whatever it was, it was probably best to wake him up at this point. He shook him harder, speaking his name; "Sans…Sans, wake up—"

Sans woke up in a violent jolt, startling Papyrus so much he fell back. The smaller skeleton's left eye flared with blue magic the likes of which the other had never seen before. "don't—" he yelled in a panic but then stopped. Sans extended his hand in a swift motion but Papyrus couldn't tell if he was reaching for something or getting ready to fight. The magic he wielded vanished as he came to realise he was in his room and he lowered his hand in confusion, "wha…?"

"Sans…?" Papyrus repeated cautiously.

His brother's agitated gaze fell upon him. For some reason, he seemed so shocked, like he couldn't believe Papyrus was actually there. "pap…" he muttered incredulously, but then he seemed filled with trepidation again. He jumped out from beneath his covers and dashed towards him anxiously, "pap, are you okay? are you hurt?"

Papyrus allowed the smaller skeleton to look for wounds despite being perfectly fine. He noticed that Sans spent a particularly long time looking over his neck but said nothing of it. "I'm fine, Sans." He said, removing his hands from his person and holding them, "I was just a bit startled. Are _you_ okay?"

Sans took a moment to answer. His eyes were still focused on Papyrus's neck before they snapped up as though he had only just realised he had been spoken to. "i, uh…yes."

"Sans…" Papyrus chastised. He wasn't good at lying nor deducing when he was being lied to, however his brother was being very obvious at the moment. He raised one of his hands all the same and pressed it against his brother's forehead, "You don't have a fever, so you're probably not sick…" he concluded, erasing one of the possibilities he had thought of, "So then you were having a nightmare."

"i-it was nothing…really." Sans insisted lamely.

"You woke up screaming and wielding magic." Papyrus rebutted bluntly, "And, by the way, I've never seen magic like that before."

Sans suddenly seemed nervous. He pulled his hands away from his brother's and scooted back to sit on his mattress. "don't worry about it." He said, attempting to appear nonchalant, "it was just a dumb nightmare…"

He tried to slip beneath his bed covers but Papyrus stopped him, "Sans! You can't sleep in that shirt!" He schooled, "It's soaked with sweat! So is your mattress, probably!"

"fine, i'll change." Sans conceded, easily pulling off his shirt and grabbing a new one from a neighbouring heap. It didn't seem much cleaner than the one he was wearing. "but now we should both go back to sleep."

"Sans…" Papyrus sighed disappointedly. He wanted to help him but couldn't when he wouldn't speak with him.

"it's really nothing, papyrus." He repeated sullenly, offering an optimistic smile. It felt fake like his old smiles. "i'm sorry for scaring you. go back to sleep."

Papyrus frowned at his brother. He knew he couldn't make him talk if he absolutely didn't want to which currently seemed to be the case. However, it felt wrong to leave him like this. He had to do _something_. And just like that, an idea popped into his head. Without another word, he stood and dusted himself. Sans looked away bearing an indescribable expression which was good because it made it easier to grab him. Papyrus easily picked him up and made his way back to his room.

"p-papyrus!" Sans protested, "what are you doing?"

"I'm not going to leave you alone." Papyrus stated with resolve, "Not when you had such a terrible nightmare." He walked into his room and placed Sans on his bed, crawling in next to him. He draped an arm over him and pulled him closer. The smaller skeleton seemed very flustered, "I remember," he continued after a moment, "when I was younger and had a nightmare, you'd let me sleep in your bed. You'd ask me what my nightmare was about and then you'd tell me it wasn't real and that you would protect me." Papyrus sighed softly and gave a gentle kiss to Sans's forehead, "You don't have to tell me what scared you like that; just stay here with me and I'll protect you."

Sans gaped and it almost looked like his eyes were beginning to fill with tears but it was too dark to be able to really tell. He didn't offer Papyrus much of a chance to get a good look at him either because he almost instantly leaned in and buried his face in the other's chest, clutching his shirt. He trembled a bit and the taller skeleton held him tighter.

"You're okay, Sans…" Papyrus cooed gently, "It wasn't real. You're okay. I've got you…"

"thank you, papyrus." Sans muttered, his voice choked.

Papyrus smiled. He didn't like how he was stuck doing so little to help, but he supposed it was better than nothing. He snuggled into his brother and closed his eyes. Sans fell asleep first, snoring softly with his face still buried in the taller skeleton's chest. Papyrus felt himself dozing off not long after.

 _I love Sans…_ Papyrus thought to himself, _I love my brother…_


	9. Chapter 9

Papyrus had thought he had past the point where Sans would be expecting things from him. He had thought he was fulfilling all of his duties as both a brother and a boyfriend. He spent most of his time at home with the smaller skeleton; he kissed, hugged, and cuddled him frequently, among many other things. And yet, just like when Sans was first expecting kisses but refused to vocalise it, he seemed to be hinting to wanting something more. This began not long after the night they had spent in his bed after his nightmare woke them both up.

Again, it was like Sans had something just on the tip of his tongue but continuously bit it back when Papyrus thought he was finally going to say it. He was also more clingy – not in an entirely non-pleasurable way – and suggestive with his words. Sans would lean against him more often in seemingly insignificant manners and demand through gesture more contact. As for how he had recently been speaking, it was like he was cryptically voicing what he wanted, which was an improvement from the last time they found themselves in such a situation, but Papyrus had no idea what he was supposed to conclude from what he was saying. It was steadily getting frustrating, to say the least. They had gone on two dates – debatably one what with how Sans considered their walk through Snowdin forest – and kissed and held hands all the time; what more could he want?

The dating book was useless and Papyrus couldn't spend more time at the library browsing books without his brother getting suspicious. He didn't want him to think he didn't know what he was doing in their relationship. And yet, the whole point in being so intimate with Sans was to keep him happy; he feared his mood would sour if he didn't figure out what he wanted soon. As much as he wanted to avoid his final option, Papyrus turned to Undyne.

When leaving the house, the taller skeleton claimed he was going to train with Undyne. After a quick goodbye kiss, Sans waved him off at the door and closed it behind him. Papyrus consequently spent most of his walk labouring over how he was going to formulate his questions without disclosing Sans's identity. For a moment, he thought about simply pretending he was dating a girl but that just seemed like a bad idea. If Undyne decided to ask around, she would find that he didn't hang around or talk to single women – with her as the exception, of course. Perhaps the less details, even false ones, were better.

He came upon her doorstep expecting Alphys to be around. They hadn't scheduled a training session like he had told Sans and, typically, on her free days, Undyne spent her time with the royal scientist. However, when the fish monster in question opened her front door, no hints of a second party could be spotted in her house. Judging by her clothes and fairly surprised expression, Undyne had probably expected to spend a relaxing day alone at home.

"Pap, hey! What are you doing here?" She asked, leaning against her door.

Papyrus suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. It wasn't strange to go to friends for dating advice, was it? "Hello…um, I-I need your help with something. If you don't mind, of course." He explained clumsily.

"Sure, but I'm not dressed to receive." Undyne said, stepping aside, "Come in."

Papyrus entered meekly, keeping his head and gaze down. He peered at his surroundings only briefly as he waited for his friend to tell him where to go. She led him into the kitchen and began preparing tea, taking a seat at the table while waiting for the kettle to boil.

"So what's on your mind, buddy?" She asked, leaning against her table.

"It's about…my relationship." Papyrus answered, minding his words very carefully.

Undyne suddenly looked serious. "What's up?" she practically demanded. Her tone sort of intimidated him into silence. Said silence seemed to unnerve her for some reason. "Pap," she continued after a moment of nothing on the taller skeleton's part, "You're my friend. I care for you a lot. You can tell me anything. _Anything_."

Papyrus was getting the impression he was also getting from Sans lately but from her this time. Was she alluding to something else through her words too? "O…okay?" he responded, grimacing in uncertainty. Why did she say that the way she did?

"There's no shame in saying it." She added, "Forget the gender-related stereotypes. If it's happening to you, I will believe you."

Papyrus's mouth fell agape in confusion. "…what?"

Undyne smashed her fists against the table angrily, "Just say the word and I'll throw them in prison in a second!" she growled, "I'm head of the royal guard, I can do that! No one hurts my friends!"

"Undyne, what are you talking about?" Papyrus asked, awkwardly glancing around for answers.

"I'm—" She began haughtily but then paused, "What were you going to ask me?"

"My partner has been hinting at something but I don't know what. I just wanted your help in figuring that out." Papyrus admitted bluntly.

Undyne blinked stupidly, "So…you're not being physically or mentally abused?"

"What!?" Papyrus gawked, appalled. "Sans would never—" if he could bite his tongue, he would have. Instead he opted to kick himself for having let slip something he desperately meant to keep secret. However, despite the panic that took over in that moment, he still managed to fix his mistake fairly eloquently, "—would never let that happen…"

"I'm sure. Your bro's scary when he's mad." Undyne snorted but then flinched violently, almost exaggeratedly, in realisation, "Wait!" She exclaimed, "Sans knows who you're dating!?"

Papyrus wanted to die. "Yes."

"You told _him_ but you didn't tell _me_!?" Undyne whined in indignation.

"I-I didn't _tell_ him per se…" Papyrus muttered. At least that was _a_ truth, which was refreshing. He had been lying a lot over the past month and few weeks.

Somehow, that answer seemed to satisfy Undyne's wild shifts in emotion. "Oh. Yeah. I should have figured." Undyne scoffed with a light chuckle, "If you didn't tell Sans, he probably would have stalked you around 'til he stumbled on one of your dates. For someone lazy and nonchalant, he's pretty sneaky when he wants to be."

"Uh. Yeah." Papyrus agreed meekly.

"Anyways, what's going exactly on with your secret love?" Undyne redirected, sitting back comfortably only for the kettle to begin whistling. "Hold that thought." She got out of her chair and fetched two cups and two sachets of tea. She poured water in both mugs before bringing them back to the table and pushing one towards Papyrus. "Okay, go."

The taller skeleton looked at the content in his teacup while contemplating where to start. The tea bag was slowly beginning to change the colour of the water, darkening it. "They've been…very clingy lately." He said, swishing the hot water around. "Not in a bad way. It's fun to cuddle and hold hands…but they, I don't know, want more, I guess?"

"What do you mean?" Undyne inquired further.

"It's difficult to explain," Papyrus admitted and looked at the ceiling in frustration. "The last time they acted this way, they wanted good morning kisses—"

"You spent nights together!?" Undyne interrupted loudly. Papyrus didn't know whether to say yes or find a reasonable lie to tell. He really had to watch what he was saying around her. She was more perceptive than he was, already collecting information to figure out who it was he was dating. "Sorry." She apologised almost immediately, "Continue."

"Anyways," Papyrus proceeded dismissingly, "Last time they wanted good morning kisses. Now I give plenty of kisses and hugs, we cuddle amply, _and_ we have gone on two dates. I don't know what else they could want."

Undyne had a thought cross through her mind. Like Papyrus, she wore herself on her sleeve but the former had never been able to notice such things until recently. "What exactly do they _do_?" She queried, a tone of nervousness in her voice, "All they're doing is dropping hints, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know what the hints are supposed to be." Papyrus reiterated, "They kind of just lean against me more often and…want to be 'touched' more, I guess." Undyne practically spat out her tea. She did, however, choke on it and begin coughing hysterically. "I-is something wrong?"

"Oh Papyrus…" Undyne uttered between coughs and punches to her chest, "You innocent little—"

She cut herself off upon hearing three shy knocks at her front door. Undyne frowned and gave Papyrus a questioning look, but he simply shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. As such, she stood from her chair and opened the front door. "Alphys!" She exclaimed joyfully. In a moment, Undyne had wrapped her arm around the royal scientist and was dragging her into the house with a loud bellow, "You're just in time! Come here!"

"W-w-what's going on?" She stuttered nervously and then spotted Papyrus. "Oh. H-Hello."

"Hi." Papyrus responded shortly.

"Papyrus was just telling me about his relationship problems." Undyne reiterated as she guided the orange monster to a chair and made her sit down, "I think I know what's up but I want a second opinion before saying what's on my mind."

"O-oh…okay." Alphys agreed meekly.

"Go on, Pap! Tell her what you told me!" She insisted, taking a seat next to the royal scientist.

"Um, well," Papyrus restarted awkwardly, "My partner's been hinting to wanting something from me but I don't know what. We've already been on dates, we've already kissed, held hands, and cuddled, so I don't know what else I'm supposed to give."

Alphys blushed a bit and glanced at Undyne. The latter offered her a toothy grin before glancing away. "A-and what exactly do they do to m-make you think they want more?" She asked.

"They act the same way they did when they wanted me to kiss them the first time." Papyrus explained, "They hint at it with words and actions."

"Except the actions now consist of getting very _physical_." Undyne supplied.

"Yes! Exactly!" Papyrus agreed, missing what his friend was hinting at entirely.

Alphys looked all the more flustered. She fiddled with her hands anxiously until the royal guard finally spoke. "So are we on the same page or what, Alphys?"

"I-I think so…" She admitted, "I'm not quite s-sure what else it could be if not _t-that_ …"

"What is it?" Papyrus asked.

"Pap, your beaux wants to bang you." Undyne stated bluntly.

"W-what!?" He shrieked in shock, feeling his face heat up. Sans couldn't really want that, could he? He was too lazy and seemingly too shy if the way he was acting in the midst of their relationship was anything to go by. But they were also brothers.

"All signs point to it." She insisted. "You've given them every other piece of romantic affection they could want except for that."

"B-but…but…" Papyrus tried. Nothing came to mind. He didn't know how to refute the postulated answer.

"Why is it so hard to believe?" Undyne teased, "It's normal at your age. Is it because you're too innocent to know how to do it?"

"N-not at all!" Papyrus countered.

"U-um…" Alphys chimed in shyly, "w-well…having s-sex with monsters isn't as simple or c-clean cut as you would think…" Undyne and Papyrus gave her puzzled looks, "w-what I mean is the r-reproduction system of monsters will vary from s-specie to specie. L-like, my specie probably doesn't procreate the same way skeletons do."

"Hun…" Undyne hummed and shifted her look to Papyrus, "How _do_ skeletons reproduce?"

Papyrus blinked in realisation. "I don't actually know." He confessed.

"Ha! I knew you were too innocent!" Undyne hollered immediately.

"I know about sex and how it's generally done!" Papyrus objected just as loudly. "J-just not how skeletons go about it…we don't have the sexual organs most other monsters have."

"Urgh. I don't need to know this about you, Pap." Undyne groaned.

"You brought it up!" The taller skeleton stated.

"Eh, do you know, Alphys?" The royal guard shrugged, tilting her chair to support her on the two hind legs while she kicked up her feet on the table.

"N-no, I don't …" Alphys muttered when an idea suddenly popped into her head, "b-but I know where he can find the answers! There's a b-book in the Snowdin library; it's c-called _The Monster's Kama Sutra_. It's written by a s-sexologist that taught at the University in N-new Home. It covers how to h-have sex with every specie of monster in the Underground, how to s-stimulate them properly, and the different positions you can d-do."

Undyne whistled loudly, evidently impressed. "Someone had a lot of time on their hands." Then she grinned and playfully poked Alphys's side, "Say…how do _you_ know about this book?"

"N-no reason!" She squeaked in embarrassment, causing the fish monster to throw her head back in laughter, "A-anyways, I'm sure it c-covers a skeleton's sexual anatomy or l-lack thereof."

Papyrus nodded. Grabbing that book from the library was far more doable than looking through the offered collection individually – especially when he had a title to work with. That being said, he still wasn't entirely convinced what Sans wanted was sex. Despite being romantically involved, they were still brothers. Surely that meant there was a limit to how far they could and would go, right?

"Thank you so much for your help." Papyrus thanked before glaring accusingly at Undyne. She had been less than helpful.

"Aw, hey come on! I can only take this so seriously!" She defended with a wide grin. However, it soon fell as she took a more serious disposition, "but for all my messing around, I'm serious when I say that you don't have to have sex if you don't want to. Whoever you're dating isn't allowed to touch you like that if you don't want it. Same thing goes for you. The second someone says no, you stop immediately; no questions asked. Understood?"

"Of course." Papyrus said.

"Good." She smiled, "And if they hurt you, tell me and I'll beat 'em up! Promise!"

"I…don't think that will be necessary…" Papyrus chuckled awkwardly.

After that, he stayed for a moment longer. He chatted about other things with Undyne and Alphys. However, the taller skeleton often found his mind drifting to the last thing Undyne had told him. If sex was what his brother really wanted; in the event that Papyrus didn't want to, would he really be able to say no? So far, it seemed like he hadn't had much of an opportunity to decide for himself and had to focus more on the desires of his brother. What if Sans got upset and saying no ruined his happy mood? All that progress would amount to nothing. But Undyne sounded so serious – serious in a way that meant there were no exceptions…

 _I love…_ but Papyrus didn't know if he could finish the thought at the moment.

Hopefully, it just wouldn't come to that.


	10. Chapter 10

For once, it seemed Papyrus was the first to finish work in a very long time. He had returned to the house after unexpectedly taking Doggo's shift finding it vacant and luckily so because he had passed by the library to pick up the book Alphys had recommended a few days ago. It was much thicker than he expected, especially when he noticed how thin the pages were. The author must have had a lot to say about monsters and sex. The people working at the library and checking out the novel had given him very strange looks and seemed flustered. Papyrus elected to ignore them.

The taller skeleton made a b line for his room. He made sure to shut the door behind him to assure total privacy. When Sans came back, he would also have more than enough time to hide the book and pretend he had been up to something else. The dating guide had mentioned how honesty was always the best policy in a relationship, but Papyrus had a hard time believing that was absolutely true. On TV, Mettaton regularly made fun of people who were clueless in regards to all things romantic. However, it wasn't just him. Papyrus had seen it quite regularly when he overheard other monsters just chatting while he was doing his own thing in town. So in regards to learning more to please Sans, he was going to keep it to himself lest his brother tease him about it.

Papyrus sat on his mattress and kicked off his big orange boots. He shifted his pillow to the small of his back for comfort as he leaned against the wall nestled alongside his bed. With a pleasant sigh, he picked up his book and opened it at the introduction. A blush overtook his face as he beheld the first picture situated atop the text. It was a drawing of two silhouettes of monsters who were definitely having sex.

" _Monsters are complex and diverse creatures. Loving them right differs from species to species. There isn't one way to pleasure your lover or yourself. The Monster's Kama Sutra explores the sexual biology of every monster to have ever lived in the Underground and the best, most varied ways of arousing and pleasuring them."_

Papyrus glanced at the bottom of the page and frowned as he read: "Including graphic images for you perverts and visual learners!" in the margin. He felt like the author had probably encompassed in one line the thoughts that had passed through the minds of people at the library who checked out the book he borrowed. Nonetheless, he shook his head dismissively and skimmed through the rest of the lengthy introduction, finding nothing relevant in what he was looking for. The author simply went on the nature of their research and from where the idea to study monsters in such an obscene way stemmed. They even confessed to their own perverted curiosity. Papyrus thought it both bold and mildly disturbing.

As such, he back tracked and returned to the first couple of pages which consisted a table of contents. With everything organised in alphabetical order, it took little time for Papyrus to locate "S" for "skeleton". He flipped the pages to 914 and found a large picture of a naked skeleton in different angles. He couldn't resist the blush that spread on his face and he quickly looked away. He felt embarrassed to be beholding such a lewd picture. Thus, he moved on to the next page where the text began.

" _Skeletons may seem to fall into the category of unfuckable but to assume this as fact is oh so wrong. These special monsters harbour considerably more magic than any other specie whether they realise it or not, probably for the very specific reason of procreation. All one has to do is stimulate the erogenous zones (the rib cage, lower spine bone, pelvic bone or soul) for the magic to pool into the creation of what are referred to as "ecto appendages". These body parts, though created with magic, function relatively the same way as those of monsters who naturally bear these features. A female will have two holes with the possibility of penetration: an ecto vagina and an ecto anus; whereas a male will only have an ecto anus but also an ecto penis."_

Papyrus hummed pensively to himself. He never knew any of this. No one had ever had such a talk with him before. Even Sans. Did that mean his brother didn't know or that he just never got around to doing it because he was lazy by nature? Whatever it was, he felt like someone – anyone – should have had this conversation with him. It was sort of very important when procreation was taken into account. What would he have done had he wanted a child before stumbling on to this book?

He shook his head and pursued his reading, ready to turn the page when he caught a note in the margin. There was no point in dallying over scenarios that could have taken place. Instead, he regarded the factual: Papyrus had luckily never found himself needing to know how to have sex until this very moment. A part of him wished he could have pursued the aforementioned state of ignorance. He wasn't very interested in the idea of having sex with Sans. Despite being in a romantic relationship with him, it still felt wrong because they were brothers.

" _Even if the reproduction organs of skeletons are made of magic, a male skeleton cannot manipulate it to make a vagina for himself. The case is also the same for a female wanting a penis. I've yet to understand how the magic specifically works but it doesn't seem to be tied with consciousness or will."_

That was an interesting fact. Papyrus reckoned it also meant that Sans couldn't get pregnant. At least he wouldn't have to deal with that specific fear and concern. On that note, the taller skeleton began to wonder if the author of the book ever discovered how the sexual magic worked for skeletons. He was interested in knowing himself if only to feel more educated about his own species. He felt a bit embarrassed with his lack of knowledge. As much as he blamed others for not having a serious talk with him, Papyrus supposed he was equally to blame. He had never wanted to chat about anything other than royal guards growing up. Perhaps things would have been different had he shown interest in various topics back then.

But there was no point in dallying over the past. What was done was done; he needed to move on. Papyrus consequently turned the next page and found himself with a step by step guide to masturbation. He felt his face heat up anew with an intense blush upon noticing the helpful yet vulgar pictures bellow the printed words.

" _One of the best ways to understand how to pleasure a monster of a different species is to understand how they pleasure themselves. This is all the more true and important for a skeleton. If you cannot arouse a skeleton to the point of stimulating their sexual magic, you won't be able to have sex with them. As previously mentioned, the most sensitive spots for such a monster are the rib cage, lower spine bone, pelvic bone or soul. With that said, it's important to note that the way a skeleton reacts to their rib cage or lower spine bone being stimulated will vary. Though they're from the same species, they're all unique. Some will be more responsive to the two mentioned areas and some others won't. That being said, the pelvic bone will always spark pleasure if stimulated. The same can be said about the soul but one should never opt to touch it without consent. It's both highly sensitive and fragile and your skeleton partner my not be receptive to the idea of being so vulnerable to someone else. One false move and you could easily kill them."_

 _Well, that took a dark turn_. Papyrus thought to himself.

He paused and glanced down at his chest. He never considered that he could just reach beneath his rib cage and touch his soul if he ever felt like it. A sense of curiosity nearly had him poking at it just to see what it felt like until he remembered the risks he had so recently read. One false move and he could potentially kill himself – which would be most unfortunate, especially in the context of either sex or self-pleasure. Papyrus decided the mortification of having such an embarrassing cause of death marked on his tomb stone was enough to not want to fondle his soul directly. He wanted to be remembered for something great, like bringing down the barrier or defeating a human not dangerous masturbation.

The taller skeleton shifted his eyes further down the page where the pictures began. They were small enough to fit two images side by side and accompanied with indicative text below. He felt embarrassed as he looked through the visual instructions and yet a nagging curiosity that had his eyes frequently shifting to his clothed pelvis. Sex was supposed to feel very good – the same thing was said for masturbation. He had never touched himself before because it had simply never crossed his mind what with being so focused on becoming a royal guard.

Papyrus shifted awkwardly in place and glanced nervously at the door. Would he have enough time to test the waters before Sans returned? He frankly wasn't sure. Perhaps, for said reason, it would be best to not try it this time around. But then again, if he didn't do it now, he might not get the chance until much, much later. What's more, he door was closed. He currently possessed a degree of privacy. When Sans would return home, he would hear him and have more than enough time to cover himself and hide any proof of what he was doing.

 _Besides…_ Papyrus added to himself as he peaked at the lewd pictures in the book, _there's no guarantee I'll even like it so it might all be over in a second…_

With his mind set, the taller skeleton lifted his hips and easily slipped off his pants, leaving them to hang around his bent knees. He took a moment to look himself over. Despite having seen himself naked multiple times while showering or simply changing clothes, he had never really taken the time to look at himself so thoroughly. It felt strange to be so intimate with one self, especially when he should have done this so very long ago to begin with. _Better now than never,_ Papyrus supposed.

The Monster's Kama Sutra laid open sitting next to him. He looked at it, observing the images carefully. He saw a hand gently stroking the pelvic bone, gliding over the curves and edges. It indicated to apply a firm pressure as skeletons possessed a weaker nervous system than most monsters. With a shaky breath, Papyrus pulled off his gloves and cast them aside. Then, he tensely reached for his pelvic bone. The initial touch he gave was weak out of an admittedly silly fear of the unknown. He hardly felt his fingers but the barely perceivable sensation brought about a shudder that climbed up his spine as well as the ghost of potential pleasure to be had.

Papyrus pressed harder and surprised himself with a moan. He felt sparks of bliss begin to stir in his lower regions, steadily creeping their way to the rest of his body. Encouraged by this enjoyable feeling, he pursued it. He pressed harder, applied longer strokes, and ventured over every single inch of bone to find which parts brought him the most pleasure. As it was, it was fairly equal. That being said, some sections were easier on his hand and didn't force it into an awkward position.

Before long, the taller skeleton was moaning shamelessly with his head thrown back against the wall and his eyes closed. Heat was spreading through him – delightful beyond words and suffocating in the best of ways. He forgot all of his worries and the specific reason that had pushed him to explore his body in such a lewd way. He was just so engrossed in the foreign yet addicting sensation. And the more he touched himself the more intense the heat became. It wasn't long before Papyrus felt it all gather in a specific area and sprout the ecto appendages the book had mentioned.

He peeked open an eye and glanced at the translucent orange cock that now hung erected between his legs. "Hun…" he muttered to himself, "That's what that looks like…"

Papyrus glanced at the book to see how he was expected to pleasure his dick. The most he knew he was meant to do with it was stick it into a vagina or ass hole and rut, but that was about it. The book thus referenced him to page 21. It exasperated him to flip back to the beginning but he did so. The heat that had once been pleasurable was steadily turning uncomfortable the longer he neglected to touch himself.

" _Phallic-like sexual organs and how to handle them:_ _For the most part, phalluses are simple to pleasure but there was different ways to go about it. Of course, there's the hand. All one needs to do is wrap it around their length, apply a comfortable pressure and move it up and down at the rhythm they choose. Certain parts, like the tip, are more sensitive. It's good to play with it to experience the different sensations but one cannot achieve an orgasm from that alone."_

The text went on for a good while but Papyrus was running out of patience. He had read all that he needed for the moment. Without wasting another second, he gripped the length of his ecto cock tightly and gave an experimental pump. It felt nice. _Very_ nice. Much better than fondling his pelvic bone. He adjusted his grip briefly before beginning to move his hand in a frantic, _desperate_ rhythm as the book had suggested. Lewd moans poured out of his mouth and his mind was fogged by the building ecstasy. He had never felt so good in all of his life. He never wanted it to end—

"papyrus?" Sans called from what must have been the bottom of the stairs. "papyrus? i'm home!"

Papyrus yelped and anxiously brought his knees up to his chest in an effort to cover himself. He hadn't heard the front door open nor shut itself. Sans had caught him off guard.

"S-Sans…?" Papyrus returned lamely. His voice was surprisingly hoarse from the bliss he had been experiencing.

"are you in your room?" Sans asked and the taller skeleton could hear him begin climbing the stairs.

He started to panic. "Y-yes!" He answered, shoving the book he had borrowed beneath his pillow. "Just give me a moment! I'll be right with you!"

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no_ —Papyrus anxiously chanted in his mind as he glanced around his room frantically. He needed to make his ecto cock disappear but he had no idea how. The book had mentioned the magic wasn't tied to will or consciousness so it was fairly possible that there wasn't a way to make it go away other than waiting. But he didn't have the time. The longer he made Sans wait, the more likely he was to climb those stairs and come into his room. _Oh this is absolutely terrible…_

"pap?" Sans called again, "are you okay?"

"I-I'm fi _ne_!" Papyrus replied, his voice cracking on the last word.

"you don't sound fine." Sans remarked as he began walking up the stairs again.

Papyrus didn't know what to do anymore. None of his attempts to keep his brother at bay seemed to be working. He yanked the bedcover on which he sat to cover himself as he desperately tried to think of a way out. "U-um…I'm just a little sick!" He proclaimed and forced an exaggerated cough, "I'm going to need a moment to rest and recuperate—"

"pap—"

"W-wait! Sans—"

But it was too late. The smaller skeleton pushed the door to his room open and peeked in. He hardly managed to take a step before he froze as realisation of what Papyrus had been doing dawned on him the moment their eyes met. It must have been blatantly obvious what with how the bed covers were bedraggled and bunched in his crotch. Sans blushed as madly as Papyrus imagined he also was. He was ready to bet his face was more flushed than his brother's.

"o-oh god…" Sans muttered.

Mortification. Yes. That was an accurate word to describe how Papyrus felt in that very moment.

"Sans, I—"

"no, no! i'm so, _so_ sorry bro…" He apologised, terribly flustered. "i-i should have knocked or…something. i'll just, uh, leave…now…okay…" Sans turned on his heels and went to step out the door. He closed the door nearly all of the way but then stop, leaving it only the slightest bit open. Papyrus could barely see him when he finally added; "i…i mean…unless you maybe want some…help?"

The taller skeleton jolted in surprise at the question – surprise he didn't quite understand when he thought about it. Sans had hinted at wanting this, hadn't he? Even if Papyrus himself hadn't quite believed it when Undyne and Alphys had told him, they had built a strong case for themselves all the same. Was it so shocking that the smaller skeleton would then suggest his help for something he had been craving for a while now? Regardless, Papyrus didn't know what to say.

"Oh…okay…" He muttered without quite realising it.

Sans seemed startled in the same way Papyrus was by the answer. He pushed the door a bit more open, revealing his incredulous expression. "r…really?"

"Yes." Papyrus responded shortly, feeling his face heat up from another blush.

Sans still seemed unsure as he re-entered the room and slowly made his way to Papyrus's bedside. It was like he couldn't quite believe the answer the taller skeleton had given and the latter felt the same way. He wasn't sure what pushed him to say yes. A part of him knew it was because he wanted to please Sans. It was his first and foremost goal. However, there was definitely something else at play. Curiosity? That was probably it. As someone not very experienced in all things sexual, Papyrus was curious to see how exactly his brother would "help" him.

The smaller skeleton stood awkwardly by his bedside. His face was flushed blue and he struggled to maintain eye contact or simply just look in Papyrus's general direction for more than a few seconds. He clenched and unclenched his own hands before bringing himself to speak. "you're…uh, you're going to have to scoot over here…" he mumbled shyly.

Papyrus jolted at the request. He felt both very flustered and on edge but he obeyed the bid without so much as a word. He moved to the side of the bed, swinging his legs over the race car frame all the while keeping the blanket bundled to cover his pelvis and ecto cock. Sans took a shaky breath and slowly knelt down between Papyrus's open legs. Then he carefully reached for the blanket, pausing when he grabbed it.

"i…i can't help you with this in the way." He said.

"Oh, uh, right." Papyrus replied awkwardly. Rather than move it slowly, he opted to treat it how monsters with flesh would treat the removal of a Band-Aid: quickly and abruptly. It didn't stop him from feeling shy and embarrassed, though he wish it did. He had half a mind to cover himself but couldn't close his legs with Sans knelt in between them.

The smaller skeleton beheld the ecto erection with a bit of surprise but it soon faded as a different, indescribable expression washed over him. It had Papyrus frowning though only for the briefest of moments because Sans shifted on his knees and slowly extended his hand to touch the conjured appendage. His fingers trailed the round head softly resulting in Papyrus gritting his mouth shut to stifle needy whimpers. Whatever Sans was going to do, he hoped he would get to it soon because the heat pouring into that region was quickly becoming insufferable.

Sans trailed his fingers down the length before wrapping his index and thumb around the base. He applied a tight pressure which temporarily distracted Papyrus while he moved his mouth closer and then engulfed the tip. The taller skeleton release a strangled moan, surprised by the tight wet heat he suddenly felt on his dick. Sans gave a gentle suck before taking more of it in his mouth. There were many things Papyrus wanted to say but he couldn't manage to voice any of them. He was subdued into a mess of groans and moans as Sans began bobbing his head while he sucked and rubbed what length of his cock he couldn't fit into his mouth.

"Ngh— _Sans_ …" was the most he managed to mutter.

Whatever apprehensions Papyrus once had about doing anything remotely sexual with Sans evaporated immediately. If it always felt as good as this, he didn't care that it was morally wrong to everyone else in the Underground. Heck, he didn't want it to end. The bliss he felt made his bones tremble as though they were threatening to explode what with being so overwhelmed with mind-blowing ecstasy. Sans's mouth just felt so good and so tight – before long, he found himself thrusting into it. The heat that had once been torturous had also evolved into something different, something addicting that he was susceptible to topple over soon.

Papyrus's thrusting became harsher and more erratic. He focused all his attention on the building pleasure until, all of a sudden, he climaxed into pure euphoria. The feeling was fleeting but oh so delicious. His thrusts slowed steadily to a stop and then he leaned back against his hands, barely registering that something had literally shot out of him until he lazily glanced down at Sans. The smaller skeleton swallowed a white, liquid-like substance though a trail of it dribbled down the side of his mouth. It took far too long for Papyrus to realise he had done that.

"A-ack! Sans!" He snapped, sitting upright abruptly, "I'm sorry! I—"

Sans chuckled and stuck out his blue ecto tongue to scoop the rest of it. Papyrus wasn't sure why the gesture got a strange tug from his soul. "don't worry about it." He assured, standing up, "just give me a little warning next time."

"Of course!" Papyrus agreed. He then wrapped his arms about his brother's waist and pulled him into a hug. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do now. Was a thank you in order? He decided that, yes, it was. But first he kissed Sans, unsure of why he suddenly felt more grabby and touchy. "Thank you for that, Sans."

"i-it was no problem." The smaller skeleton stammered, looking down at the space between them while a shy smile crept on his face. Papyrus returned the smile and pressed a second kiss against his brother's forehead.

 _I can love my brother._ He thought to himself. Maybe this relationship wasn't so bad after all.


	11. Chapter 11

**The updates for this story will be scarcer because I now have a job. I'm still aiming for once a week but it won't be the every four days deal that was going on before.**

* * *

Papyrus hadn't thought much about what he had done with Sans until much later. He watched his brother move around in the kitchen, traveling from one cupboard to another as he prepared a quiche – whatever that was. Sans described it as a bread bowl filled with eggs and green vegetables. It seemed healthy enough. Regardless, it was as he watched the smaller skeleton prepare a meal for the two of them, something he only conceded to after a lot of insistence and pleas on the other's part, that he truly dabbled into the very pleasurable event that had so recently taken place.

A blow job. That's what The Monster's Kama Sutra called what Sans did to him the other day. Papyrus had read up on it later that night when he was meant to be sleeping. All things concerning it were found in the 'Phallic-like sexual organs and how to handle them' section at the beginning of the book. Apparently, it was a very common and popular sexual act, though Papyrus had never heard of it before. To be fair, he hadn't heard of many things sex-related and had even known next to nothing about how skeletons went about it.

Papyrus frowned and shifted his gaze away, opting to look at the very uninteresting table top. Lack of knowledge – blatant ignorance, to be frank, was what had gotten him into this mess with Sans. Had he been more aware of all things romantic and to what he was saying, how he was saying it, perhaps things would have been very different. But those thoughts hardly plagued his mind anymore. The taller skeleton had vowed never to think of it after all, especially with all the good he's been doing to Sans while pretending to love him. It was getting easier to maintain the charade, despite how their relationship had suddenly taken a huge leap forward.

His eyes moved to his brother again. The smaller skeleton was cracking a few eggs into a clear bowl. There was a whisk within hand's reach he would surely be using soon. Should Papyrus mind how he and Sans had recently gotten sexual? Considering how he felt when he had to kiss him for the first time, the answer felt like it should be yes. However, in reality, Papyrus really didn't mind at all which was a startling thing to realise. Being more intimately involved, particularly – presumably – in the case of Sans, meant a display of more intense and true love. Kissing had also meant that which was why he had been initially bothered by it.

Why was this so different?

As much as he tried convincing himself, Papyrus still wasn't in love with Sans – not even a little. And yet, and he blushed as the thought passed through his mind, he had the barely controllable desire to touch him, to fondle him, to remake the pleasure that had overcame him the night before. It wasn't that Papyrus wanted another blow job, though he wouldn't necessarily _mind_ one, rather, he wanted to try other things he had read about in the book he still kept hidden in his room. He also wanted to try those things on Sans to see if he could make him feel the same way he did.

Maybe that was what was so different. Kissing didn't bring about bliss.

Papyrus shook his head and sighed deeply as he leaned back into the comfort of his chair. _I shouldn't be thinking such lewd things…_ he thought to himself. _I'm more respectable than that…_ then his gaze moved down Sans's frame, locking on his waist and pelvis. It took him a moment to realise where he was staring, at which point he tore his eyes away and schooled himself. _Stop it! Stop! Don't—_ but he peeked back at where he had been staring only to have a filthy thought cross his mind anew; _Isn't it rude of me to not have returned the favour?_

"No! Bad Papyrus!" He snapped at himself and slammed his face against the table.

Sans jolted, startled by the loud sound, and glanced back, "whoa—what's up? what are you doing there, bro?" he asked with mild concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Papyrus assured, flashing him a thumbs up while his face remained glued to the uninteresting furniture's surface.

Sans chuckled lightly, "alright, then." He said and turned back to his task.

Papyrus groaned inwardly and shut his eyes. He was embarrassed of himself. All of his respectability had been zapped away in the span of one blow job – one _fantastic_ blow job. _Dear stars_ , he thought about it far too often to the point of having already dreamt about it. It had just felt so good. Sans's mouth on his cock, wet and hot, sucking while his ecto tongue licked – he knew how to do everything so perfectly it was astounding. Papyrus could never hope to match it in skill if he ever tried the feat himself.

 _But a hand job is simple enough—_ He thought briefly before clutching his skull with his gloved hands, _No! Papyrus calm down!_

At the moment, the taller skeleton felt very much like that character from that human movie both Alphys and Undyne really enjoyed. It was the one with the – what was it again? Chobits – no, _hobbits_! – and that lanky, creepy character with the split personality disorder that was always bickering with himself. "Give in to your perverted desires and touch Sans!", "No, don't! You're respectable; it's not worth it no matter how good it feels!" and so the dilemma went on. The only way to solve it was to consider what Sans would want. And as much as Papyrus's respectability demanded to remain intact and for him to calm his lust, Sans, according to Alphys and Undyne, wanted the very contrary.

Without a second longer spent dallying on what he would do, Papyrus shot up from his seat. He wandered to Sans and pulled him into a hug from behind. The gesture startled his smaller brother who nearly dropped his whisk and juggled with it a bit before catching it again. He laughed nervously and though he was tense, he leaned into Papyrus albeit shyly.

"y-you scared me, pap. what are you…" he began but his tone trailed off when Papyrus buried his face in the crook of his neck and tightened his grip around Sans's middle. He felt a shiver run up the smaller skeleton.

"I…I really tried stopping myself…" Papyrus mumbled beneath his breath. He wasn't sure whether he was addressing Sans or himself. It hardly made much of a difference anyway.

His hands wandered beneath Sans's clothes. One of them toyed with his ribs while the other one teased his pelvic bone. Sans yelped and clutched his whisk tightly, unsure what he was meant to do. Small, cute sounds left his mouth as Papyrus's hands fondled his most erogenous areas.

"p-pa…papyrus…" Sans whined, tilting his head slightly to meet the taller skeleton's gaze. Papyrus's heart gave a weird thump as he beheld his brother's face. It was consumed with a blue blush and his expression conveyed just how wrecked with lust he was.

"Is this okay?" He asked, his voice hoarse. He ignored the heat of sexual magic steadily streaming to his own pelvic bone, "Should I stop?"

Sans's mouth quickly shut and he looked away. It took him a peculiar amount of time before finally answering: "no…please, don't…"

"Good…" Papyrus muttered before he realised it. His low tone earned him a sharp inhale from Sans.

He continued his ministration without so much as another word. The only sounds that came from then on were from Sans who was struggling to keep his moans to himself. Papyrus found he quite liked them and made a challenge for himself to break through his brother's will to maintain silence. He seemed to be winning effortlessly. It didn't take much for a drawn out, languid moan to escape. All he needed to do was pinch his second rib from the top and press hard near his tail bone to earn juicy hums. Papyrus consequently abused those areas, nearly driving Sans mad. Before long, he had the smaller skeleton summoning his ecto cock which tented his pants.

Papyrus hardly wasted a second. He moved his left hand to grip it while the other kept teasing that especially sensitive rib. What little will Sans had left to keep himself from being too loud effectively collapsed then and there. Euphoric sounds began pouring from his mouth in earnest as soon as Papyrus began pumping the sexual organ. Sans dropped the whisk he had been clutching desperately and gripped his brother's forearms instead, squeezing tightly as he was overwhelmed with relentless waves of pure bliss.

The sight of him was intoxicating and arousing. Papyrus wondered if Sans was aware of the way he looked when he was so overcome with pleasure. Just looking at him moaning and writhing uncontrollably was enough for Papyrus himself to have his ecto cock sprout in the confines of his pants despite his efforts to resist. Sans seemed to feel it instantly press into his backside. He leaned into it, rutting against it with near desperation.

"please papy…" he whined breathlessly.

Papyrus wasn't sure what that meant. Did Sans want him to fuck him or keep rutting against him? If it was the former, he didn't feel like he could comply at the moment. As much as he enjoyed the feel of being sexual and would undoubtedly enjoy sex, it didn't feel right to just start now. He wanted to wait a little bit, maybe make it a bit special. Fucking in the kitchen seemed raunchy and unfit for a first time. There would be plenty of time for a moment like that down way down the line.

As such, he simply increased the pressure of his grip and the speed of his pumping while he rutted hard against Sans. The two moaned together, the smaller skeleton being significantly louder. Sans eventually had to lean on the counter with one hand for additional support as the pleasure seemed to be steadily incapacitating his legs. Papyrus understood his predicament, also feeling his legs begin to tremble and weaken the closer he got to his climax. It wasn't long from that moment on that his movements became erratic. Sans became much louder and desperate, calling out Papyrus's name like a chant until a final cry had him spilling his cum in Papyrus's gloved hand and the inside of his pants. Papyrus came nearly immediately after with a final thrust against Sans.

They leaned onto the counter, waiting for their breaths and strength to return before peeling themselves apart. They both felt gross and for obvious reasons. The insides of both of their pants were warm and sticky and, overall, uncomfortable.

"We…we should probably change clothes…" Papyrus commented, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

Sans slowly looked up. He bore an indescribable expression that left Papyrus fairly puzzled. He couldn't even begin to try to deduce how exactly his brother felt when the latter reached up and pulled his face down into a kiss. Their teeth smacked together roughly and remained pressed together for a long beat before Sans released him and pulled away. Papyrus's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't been expecting that at all.

"W-what was that for?" He stuttered in embarrassment.

Sans blushed violently as though just realising what he had done. He seemed to shrink in on himself as he looked away and obsessively stared at the floor. "i-i…thanks…for that…i guess…?" he babbled uncertainly and seemed all the more embarrassed with himself, "i just, uh, really…needed that…"

If they were being honest, Papyrus supposed he could comply as well. He cupped Sans's face with his clean hand and forced his gaze up to meet his. "I'd really like to do that again." He confessed, deepening the smaller skeleton's blush considerably, "Among other things, of course."

Sans seemed daunted by the confession. He uttered something akin to a whimper before hiding his face in Papyrus's chest. The latter laughed softly and patted his head. Sans could be so cute sometimes.

"Go change your clothes." Papyrus instructed, "I'll ready the cleaning machine."

"okay." Sans agreed.

He left hastily while the taller skeleton made a b line for the laundry room. He began fiddling with the buttons when he was hit with the sudden realisation that that kiss had been the first one Sans had ever given him. His hand wandered to his mouth, ghosting over it in awareness. The thought made him feel weird – not necessarily uncomfortable yet not comfortable either.

 _I…_ Papyrus paused but then shook his head, _I love my brother…_


	12. Chapter 12

"So Pap," Undyne began, leaning on the magical spear she had conjured, "Did you fuck 'em?"

Papyrus sputtered in indignation. He nearly lost balance in the midst of his stretching and regarded his friend with both horror and mortification. Of course, the look he gave her had her bursting into laughter. She threw her head back and gripped her stomach while smashing the butt of her magic spear into the ground.

"Ahh—your face! It's so funny!" Undyne huffed between huge puffs of mirth.

" _Stars_ , Undyne!" Papyrus schooled. He hoped he wasn't blushing too much, or at all for that matter. "You can't just ask people that so bluntly!"

He had come to the head of the royal guard's house for their scheduled training session. The day was fast approaching where Papyrus would have to attempt passing a new entrance exam to be admitted into the royal guard and so they had decided to double down. He wanted to be as ready as possible. Papyrus was sure he could finally make it in if he truly gave it his all when he was sparring with Undyne. And though it meant he would consequently be spending more time with her, he really hadn't expected this kind of chatter to take place while he stretched.

"Why not? We're friends." Undyne countered with an amused grin. "Friends talk about stuff like that. So tell me; did you get down and dirty? Figure out how skeletons bone?"

"Oh my _god_!" Papyrus snapped, "Was that a pun!?"

Undyne paused in realisation only to burst out into a new fit of cackles. "It wasn't an intentional one but yeah!"

"I'm going home." Papyrus declared deadpanned and turned his heels.

"Papyrus, no!" Undyne chuckled and chased after him, "You've got to train!"

"Fine. I'll stay _just_ because I want to be ready for my exam." He stated with a frown.

"Cool. But first, answer my question!" She insisted.

"Undyne—" the taller skeleton whined.

"Come on, Pap!" She continued, "I just want to know if you got 'freaky'. To be honest, I have a hard time imagining you being so lewd."

Papyrus zoned out for a brief moment. Her last word evoked elicit memories of Sans moaning and writhing beneath him as he touched his— "W-well, if you _must_ know the answer is no!" He denied in a feeble attempt to keep his dignity intact, "I am a gentleskeleton!"

"That little blush on your face is suggesting that you just lied!" Undyne teased with a toothy smirk.

"W-what!?" Papyrus shrieked and slapped his hands on his cheeks, "I-I'm not blushing!"

"How would you know? Can you see your face?" Undyne pointed out. She was enjoying this far too much. "I've got to say, I'm shocked that you lied. The old you would have _never_ been dishonest. This new relationship has changed you so much!"

"I-I'm not lying!" Papyrus sputtered hard headedly, "You're just saying things to get a rise out of me!"

"Though that's partially true," Undyne admitted with a shrug, "You also could have said that without blushing and I still wouldn't have believed you. You were definitely libidinous with your partner!"

"I was not!"

"You were!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Stars; you're worse than my brother." Papyrus grumbled as he threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Sans knows about the perverted things you did!?" Undyne barked loudly.

 _It would be weird if he didn't._ Papyrus thought. He shook his head and thought of something else before more memories of Sans's face and the sounds he made could come back. "You're contorting my words!"

"Pap, be honest with me, buddy," the royal guard insisted, "You took inspiration from that book Alphys recommended you, didn't you?"

"I may have skimmed through it but—"

"Ha! So you admit you did the dirty!" Undyne interrupted excitedly.

Papyrus growled and buried his face in his hands in frustration. "Fine." He finally conceded, "Maybe we did get a little…intimate…"

" _please papy…"_

The taller skeleton shuddered and pushed the memory away. The longer they talked about it, the easier and more graphic the memories returned and became. They needed to stop lest his sexual magic start activating and an embarrassing outcome take place.

"Of course you did, you _dog_!" Undyne bellowed and smacked his shoulder playfully. It tingled with pain for a little.

"Yes, yes, can we move on now?" Papyrus asked impatiently. "I would very much like to spar."

"Sure, whatever." Undyne shrugged and took a giant leap back. She was just about to get into a fighting stance before a thought crossed her mind, "Hey," she started, "Why do you think Alphys knew about that book in the first place?"

"I don't know." Papyrus said, "She's a scientist, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she's not _that_ kind of scientist." Undyne countered.

"Maybe she was just curious." Papyrus dismissed and dropped into a fighting stance.

Undyne's gaze fell to the ground pensively. She clearly wasn't satisfied with the supplied answer and pursed her lips into a frown. The skeleton found the reaction most curious. His friend was hot headed and hardly ever dwelled on a troubling thought. If something bothered her, she addressed it immediately without thinking it over even a little bit. It was just how she was. But here Undyne was, going against her very nature and mulling over something Papyrus didn't consider to be important information – or, at least, not worth _that_ much attention. However, he began grinning as he noticed the opportunity that was presented to him.

"What's wrong, Undyne?" He teased, shifting to a normal stance, "You're not jealous, are you? Have a little crush on Alphys, hmm?"

Undyne looked up without so much as a faint blush or reaction on her face, "Yeah. I do." She admitted bluntly.

It took a moment for Papyrus to register the answer he was given. His mischievous smirk fell instantly. He was expecting a priceless reaction bordering on how he had been when he was being questioned about the sexual things he had so recently done with Sans. "How come you can just admit it so calmly?" He whined, drooping his shoulders in discouragement.

"Because I got nothing to be embarrassed about!" Undyne roared dynamically, punching her fist in the air, "Alphys is the greatest! She's super smart and funny and nice and builds really cool stuff! Anyone would be lucky to have her but I would really like to be that monster!"

"Wait," Papyrus said, "Didn't you say you wanted to have all the girls at your arm after you freed the Underground or something? How can you do that if you commit to a relationship with Alphys? Wouldn't that be cheating?"

"Psh!" Undyne brushed off, "They can be at my arms, Pap! It's not cheating unless I do something like kiss them!"

"Still…" Papyrus muttered, "I don't think Alphys would be comfortable with that…"

"I guess, hun…" Undyne reckoned.

"Are you going to ask her out on a date, then?" Papyrus queried. He shifted in place and kicked the dirt lazily. At the rate they were going, he was fairly certain they would never get to sparring.

Against all odds, questioning the head of the royal guard on whether she was going to find the courage to ask out her crush was what finally got her flustered and blushing. Pink coloured her cheeks and Undyne began fiddling with her own hands, like she suddenly didn't know what to do with them. Somehow, Papyrus didn't feel satisfied or remotely victorious. Her reaction was underwhelming and he didn't bear much motivation to tease her about it.

"I-I mean…what's the point, you know?" Undyne stammered inelegantly, "She's…she's the royal scientist, she's busy…too busy…for dating…probably."

"Did you ask her if she was busy?" Papyrus quizzed. He couldn't believe Alphys was as occupied as the fish monster made her seem. After all, she was more often than not intruding on their training sessions just to say hello or spend time with Undyne.

"W-well…no…" She admitted slowly.

"Then you should ask her out." Papyrus encouraged, "I'm sure she'll make time for you if she doesn't have it already."

"I…I don't know…" She hesitated.

Well. That was a new one. "You don't know?" Papyrus repeated incredulously, "Preposterous! The Undyne I know is sure of herself! She never hesitates and when she wants something, she goes and gets it!"

"I mean I…" Undyne started nervously. However, a visible change could be seen in her eyes as she realised just how silly and unlike herself she was being, "Wait a minute…yeah! You're right! What am I being a wuss for!? I should march over to Hotland right now and make Alphys my woman!"

"That's the spirit!" Papyrus smiled proudly.

"Except…" Undyne added slowly, "I could die…because I'm a fish monster and Hotland is really hot."

"Maybe you can bring a lot of water bottles with you." Papyrus suggested.

"Ohh! That's a good idea!" Undyne agreed. "I'll go do that as soon as we're done here!" she dropped into a fighting stance eagerly, summoning a second magical spear, "Man! Now I'm all fired up! Who knows? Maybe we'll be going on double dates or something in a week!"

The excitement Papyrus found upon knowing they would momentarily begin to spar faded instantly. He struggled to keep a smile on his face, "Uh…yes…" he said tensely, "Or…maybe we could just…not…no offense."

Undyne frowned, "Ah come on!" She cooed, "It could be fun! Besides, it's about time I get to meet this mystery person you're dating…"

Papyrus began to feel panic swell. He absolutely needed this conversation to end and be forgotten. "Uh hun but we should really be sparring now…" he tried. Unfortunately, Undyne was having none of it.

She dissipated the magic she had been wielding to create energy spears and fell out of her fighting stance once more. She looked both disappointed and concerned with the response she was given. The worst part was that Papyrus would absolutely love going on a double date with her and Alphys just…not with Sans. Heck, had he been dating anyone else, he wouldn't have needed to be hiding his relationship in the first place.

"Pap…" Undyne insisted.

"Undyne, please…" Papyrus pleaded, "I don't…"

"We've been friends for so long." She continued, "You're like – no, you _are_ my best friend. I don't understand why you would keep this a secret from me for so long. What's this about?"

"I…I don't want to talk about it." He stated firmly.

"I'm not one to push on things people don't want to talk about despite my own curiosity," Undyne said, "But don't you think I deserve to know at this point, especially when you consider all the help I've given you with your relationship already?"

The skeleton began to feel all the more nervous. She had made a compelling argument; one that couldn't be countered. And yet, he still couldn't tell her. "You wouldn't understand." He said.

"Sorry Pap, but as a lesbian fish monster last of her kind, by the way," Undyne refuted, "I think I would understand. I've seen my fair share of discrimination because of my sexual preference. Some people think it's just wrong whereas others think it's only wrong because I apparently have a 'duty' to keep my species alive and should procreate. Besides, you know me, I'm open minded. There's nothing you could tell me about your partner that could ever change that."

Undyne's insistence, although well-founded, was steadily becoming frustrating. But it was also so heart breaking. Papyrus knew she was telling the truth when she was saying she was open-minded – she had proved it time and time again during the many years they've known each other. However, a person could only be so tolerant. He was sure that if she knew he was dating Sans, it would be too much for her. She would stop being his friend. She would be disgusted by him. She would shun him. She might even tell the rest of the Underground. If she did that, he and Sans would live miserably for the rest of their lives.

 _What would that do to Sans's psyche?_ Papyrus thought, concerned. His brother had just gotten out of his slump. He seemed practically cured of his depression. How much worse would it get if the entire Underground turned against him – against them?

"I'm sorry." He simply muttered.

"Papyrus." Undyne stated firmly. She didn't seem like she would budge on the topic.

"Undyne, please let it go." Papyrus groaned. He was on his last nerve.

 _God_. None of this would be happening if he wasn't dating Sans.

"Just tell me why." Undyne pressed. She was also losing her patience.

"I already did!" Papyrus finally snapped. And it seemed that once the dam was broken, there was no way to stop the flow of the rushing water. "You wouldn't understand! You just wouldn't!"

"Yes I would!" Undyne growled back, "You know I would!"

"No, I know you wouldn't!" Papyrus barked, "So just let it go, please!"

He hated how he was fighting with her. They should have been sparring, not bickering. Papyrus couldn't help but think that this could all have been avoided if he just hadn't been dating Sans. Never until this moment had he and Undyne exchanged heated words that weren't fueled by passion nor determination. But now they were fighting and the misery Papyrus once felt in regards of being so intimate with his brother came flooding back. He regretted his mistake. He regretted everything he had done before to make Sans possibly believe he really could love him romantically.

"No!" Undyne declared decisively.

"I'm not going to talk about it!" Papyrus stated with equal resolution.

"I won't accept that!" Undyne rumbled.

"Then I'll just leave!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"If you leave, I won't ever let you into the royal guard!" Undyne warned.

Papyrus was taken aback by the threat. Undyne herself seemed shocked with her own words but elected to stick with them even if she hadn't necessarily meant them. Being a part of the royal guard was the only thing the skeleton had truly ever desired that Sans couldn't give to him – not that he would have accepted it if it were the case. Papyrus wanted to prove himself and achieve the title on his own merits. And yet, he first and foremost had a duty to his brother. He didn't know if Undyne was serious or not, but Papyrus would forsake his chances of becoming a royal guard for Sans. It wasn't like complying with the fish monster's request would change the fate of his dream anyhow.

With the decision made, Papyrus simply turned around and walked away wordlessly. He didn't cast a lingering look in Undyne's direction nor hesitate. She was probably surprised with his decision. She knew how much becoming a royal guard meant to him.

"Papyrus!" Undyne barked angrily, but she didn't chase after him. "You come back here right now, Papyrus!"

But Papyrus said nothing and kept walking.

"Papyrus!"

And he felt his heart break with anguish, sadness, and anger.

"Papyrus!"

God, he absolutely hated how he was stuck dating his brother.

"You'll regret this, Papyrus!"

 _I love Sans._ Papyrus lied to himself.


	13. Chapter 13

Papyrus marched home lost in his grief. He never fought with Undyne. At most, they disagreed on certain things but could always respect one another's differing opinion. That's what friends did after all. But now things had changed and Papyrus had not only forsaken his best friend but also his dream. He had done it all for Sans – _no_. He had done it all _because_ of Sans. There would have been no need to hide anything about his relationship had he not been dating his brother. He could have gone on that coveted double date with Undyne, he could have _told_ her about that special someone he was seeing, he could have introduced her to them and watch them form a bond.

However, that was no longer possible. Papyrus and Undyne had argued and the former had simply left probably ruining their friendship in the process. What else had he been supposed to do? Telling her about Sans was never an option, not when incest was so frowned upon. Papyrus himself didn't even understand how he hadn't exploded when his brother had confessed his feelings to him. He knew they were wrong and disgusting, but he hadn't done a thing. Would that have changed the outcome to that unfortunate misunderstanding? Would he be happier and still friends with Undyne had he simply rejected Sans?

The skeleton growled and smacked his hands to the side of his head. He was so upset; he regretted having fought with his best friend and having left her like that. He should have tried to make things better, to fix things, to get her to understand why he couldn't just tell her what she wanted to know. He shouldn't have left her but then he couldn't tell her about Sans. She could never know. No one could. And Papyrus hated that. In the end, it was all Sans's fault, wasn't it? Everything that made him so unhappy was because of Sans. If his brother hadn't been so depressed, if he hadn't been scared of losing him to a permanent and regretful mistake, if—

 _No!_ Papyrus interrupted his train of thought abruptly, _This is wrong! This isn't Sans's fault! Life doesn't work that way, no one asks to be depressed!_

His heart was beating what felt like five hundred miles an hour in his chest as crippling guilt washed over him. How could he think such horrible things? How could he blame everything that made him upset on Sans? He was living in ignorance. He didn't know Papyrus didn't enjoy dating him, didn't love him the way he probably wished he did, and didn't know how much he lamented the initial misunderstanding that had lead them to where they currently were. Sans just didn't know. But it didn't make him any less gui—

 _Stop it!_ Papyrus growled to himself, promptly halting the thought. _It doesn't make him guilty! He doesn't know! It's not his fault! It's_ not _his fault!_

Sans was innocent. Sans was finally getting better. Sans seemed to be happier than he'd ever been. It wasn't fair for Papyrus to be pushing the weight of his mistakes onto him. For all the things that had gone wrong which brought them to this very point, Papyrus and Papyrus alone had been responsible. Whenever the taller skeleton thought back on the things he would have changed to avoid being romantically entangled with his brother, they were things he had done. _He_ hadn't been clear about how exactly he loved his brother when he went on his initial spiel. _He_ hadn't chosen his words properly. _He_ had been responsible for everything he had done in the past to make Sans believe he could ever love him romantically in that pivotal moment. It was him and no one else.

It was just so much easier to blame someone else rather than assume the responsibility of one's mistakes.

But Papyrus was above that. He always strove to be the best monster he could ever be. He wanted to be an example – a role model in how to treat others and be overall good. He would assume his own mistakes instead of continuously turning the fault on Sans. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right.

 _I love Sans._ He repeated to himself, _I love Sans. I love Sans. I love Sans—_

And he would repeat it to himself until he finally believed it. He owed it to him. Perhaps Sans could also become his new source of happiness. If he tried hard enough, he wouldn't need Undyne nor the Royal Guard. Sans could fill that void. He knew he could. He already found a certain enjoyment in kissing him and holding him. Though Papyrus much preferred to touch him in lewd ways; to have him moan and whine in pleasure beneath his hands.

 _I love Sans._ Papyrus decided resolutely, _And I'll show him how much I love him._

Papyrus looked up and found he was only a few brief minutes away from his house. He could already see it in the distance. He hurried his pace, promptly rushing home. He needed to show Sans he loved him, that he didn't hate being in a relationship with him, that he didn't find it uncomfortable. He needed to show his brother how much he was appreciated, how much he _needed_ him. And in his desperation to display his affection, Papyrus nearly tore down the door as he barged in.

Sans jolted, pausing at the first step he was about to climb to go back to his room and glanced at the door. His expression conveyed surprise at seeing Papyrus back so soon. The latter could practically guess word for word what his older brother would then say next.

"pap." He said with a wide, fond smile as he made his way to him, "that was, uh, quick. what's—"

But he couldn't finish his sentence before Papyrus kissed him and literally swept him off his feet. The former squeaked, though the sound he uttered was muffled by the taller skeleton's mouth. It was a kiss unlike any other. Papyrus felt as though he was possessed by something. He didn't feel like he was in control of his actions anymore. He pressed into Sans roughly and summoned an ecto tongue to deepen the contact. The smaller skeleton conceded and conjured a tongue of his own all the while gripping at Papyrus's shoulders and making cute little noises of approval and pleasure.

Papyrus effortlessly carried the smaller skeleton to their sofa, laying him on his back and coaxing his legs open so he could seat himself comfortably in between. Sans let out a gasp that broke their kiss when he felt their pelvises press hard together. It was then that the taller skeleton pulled back and momentarily beheld the other's face. His white pupils were big, dilated, and his face was mostly consumed by a deep blue blush. Sans's mouth was agape as he breathed heavily during that short moment of stagnation.

"pap…" he muttered, his voice hoarse from desire, and yet he seemed uncertain.

"I love you." Papyrus tried to convince himself.

The false confession had Sans jolting and looking flabbergasted. He might have wanted to say something, perhaps return the sentiment, but Papyrus didn't allow him the courtesy. He pushed their mouths together and instigated a second kiss. This one was more desperate and messy. He pressed his tongue against the other's hard and held Sans's face in his hands so as to help him maintain the angle he requested. The latter moaned and mewled into his mouth while he bucked his hips consciously or unconsciously – Papyrus honestly didn't know or care – against his own. It created a pleasurable friction that ignited the taller skeleton's lust. And yet, curiously, it did nothing to spark his sexual magic.

 _In due time._ He supposed.

He broke the kiss and moved his mouth to Sans's neck. He bit and licked the bone at his disposal, pulling more delicious sounds from his brother as his hands began wandering his body. He pushed Sans's jacket open and pulled up his shirt, revealing beautiful white bones slightly discoloured by the glowing blue soul they shielded. Papyrus's hands consequently began roaming the nice set of ribs, easily finding the erogenous spots that had nearly driven the other mad the last time he dared to fondle them. Sans chocked on a moan and a gasp, taken by surprise by the contact. However, he quickly leaned into Papyrus's touch, shutting his eyes to focus on the sensations that were steadily overwhelming him.

 **It's all his fault**.

 _No._ The taller skeleton thought to himself firmly, refusing the dark thoughts attempting to pervade his mind.

Papyrus kept the teasing going for just a bit longer. He drank in all of the moans Sans made and focused on what was currently happening. He fought back the feelings that blamed the smaller skeleton for how things had turned out and that betrayed the lie Papyrus was trying so hard to believe. He found the louder he made Sans keen, the easier it was to keep his mind from wandering. So the taller skeleton did just that. He moved his mouth from his neck to his ribs while his hands pursued their journey further down and slipped beneath the hem of his shorts.

"I love you." Papyrus muttered again out of spite against the unpleasant truth.

Another gasp left Sans as his body stuttered at the shift in stimulation. He was curiously sensitive. He seemed to be far more receptive than Papyrus. He exploited that to keep him from speaking. He didn't want to hear his brother reciprocate the affection he professed – in fact, Papyrus didn't want to hear him speak at all. All he wanted was to bask in his moans and cries of bliss. He just wanted to pleasure him, to fuck him maybe, and find the new happiness that was meant to replace his biggest dream and his best friend.

 **He's the reason I can't be friends with Undyne anymore.**

 _No!_ Papyrus growled to himself and, without quite realising it, in real life. _Stop it! It's not Sans's fault!_

"mm—ngh! pap..." Sans moaned out. He was trying to say something.

"I love you." Papyrus interrupted. "I love you so much."

He tightened his grip and kneaded his fingers more roughly into Sans's pelvic bone. The gesture pulled breathless gasps and a plethora of groans and Papyrus did his best to concentrate on them. He repeated the movements a handful more of times before Sans's sexual magic pooled into the creation of an ecto cock. At that point he wasted no time in removing his brother's trousers completely, casting them aside haphazardly, and directing all of his attention on the erection at his disposal. Papyrus gripped it tightly and began pumping it quickly.

"ahhn! pa—papyrus!" Sans cried. "T—"

But Papyrus didn't let him finish that thought. He pressed their mouths together, forcing Sans into silence with a kiss as he continued pumping his cock and fondling his pelvic bone in its most erogenous areas. He didn't want to hear what he had to say. He didn't care. He didn't think he could handle it. As much as he tried not to be upset, Papyrus was nearly certain that Sans could set him off if he said the right things. He didn't want to get into another fight with someone else for which he cared.

As such, Papyrus shifted the hand stimulating the pelvic bone, accidentally brushing the conjured ass hole he had previously entirely forgotten. The reaction he pulled from Sans was priceless and encouraged him to explore it further so as to see what kind of pleasure he could inspire. The taller skeleton quickly removed his glove and returned his fingers to the entrance. He circled it slowly, teasingly, until finally pushing his index in. Sans slapped his shaky hands over his mouth to stifle the sound that erupted from him. His expression conveyed the highest degree of lust and his pupils seemed to have taken the shape of small hearts – though Papyrus was fairly certain he was just seeing things at that point.

"Don't cover your mouth…" Papyrus cooed softly, "I like – I _love_ hearing the sounds you make…"

Sans whimpered at the comment and slowly lowered his hands. He gripped the cushion beneath him and took in a heavy breath as he gave short nods. "o-okay…" he agreed just when Papyrus added a second digit and began thrusting them in and out, "haa—b-but pap…mm!...i—"

 **He ruined my dream too.**

Papyrus pushed his fingers in as far as they could go, promptly earning a delicious cry which interrupted Sans. Fingering him seemed to be more effective in keeping him quiet than just the hand job he had previously been giving. Thus, he moved his fingers in time with the pumps stimulating Sans's cock. The very tip was covered in a white liquid that had also made its way onto Papyrus's hand, staining his orange glove. It lubricated the shaft, making the movements easier and more fluid.

"papy please—" Sans practically begged in between moans. "i—"

"I love you." Papyrus growled. He moved his mouth to that especially sensitive rib bone and licked it while he pursued his other ministrations. Why was Sans so adamant on talking?

"s-slow—" he continued despite all odds.

Papyrus curved his fingers during the next thrust he gave. He wasn't sure why, he was just desperate to silence his brother. The gesture somehow brought about the most delectable cry Sans had ever made thus far. He must have hit some sort of button or something. He vaguely remembered his fingers grazing against a bump of the sort. He proceeded to try hitting it again with every following thrust. He felt Sans's cock twitch and leak considerably more as he pursued. He must have been getting close to his limit.

"o-oh god! ahnn! s _ta-_ ah _-rs_!" Sans babbled incoherently while he moaned and gasped. "p-please! please slow down, papy!"

"Can't." Papyrus replied simply. _Don't want to._

 **Because then I'd be stuck thinking about how he ruined everything.**

"pap—i'm gonna cum! please!" Sans cried, canting his hips desperately.

 **All because he was a little sad.**

"Do it." Papyrus cooed dryly.

 **All because he just couldn't be happy.**

It didn't take much after that. Sans came hard just as Papyrus pushed in his fingers roughly and gave a particularly hard pump. White liquid squirted from the tip of his erection, mostly dirtying the taller skeleton's battle armour but it was the last of his concerns at the moment. The horrible thoughts he tried to fight, the ones that betrayed how he truly felt, were winning. He couldn't get them out of his head. He couldn't lie to himself convincingly enough about loving Sans to make them stop.

 _What if…what if we just go all the way?_ Papyrus wondered to himself. _Would that make them stop?_

But when he glanced down in between them, he found his sexual magic had never activated. Despite having not only enjoyed but relished how he had wrecked his brother with pure bliss, it hadn't been enough to even bring about the barest tingle of arousal.

"pap…?"

 **He would like that, wouldn't he?**

 _Sex…it's the epitome of love, isn't it?_

 **Succumbing to his perverted, disgusting desires…**

"pap…"

 _No! No! It's love!_ Papyrus argued with himself, _I love him! I love him!_

"papyrus." Sans said firmly, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked so serious and Papyrus could just tell he knew. He knew he had been dishonest with him – if not the whole time, then during this little escapade.

"I…" he croaked.

Sans unexpectedly offered him a sympathetic smile and gently cocked his head to the right. "don't lie to me, please." He said. And it wasn't accusingly or as a form of reproach. Papyrus wasn't quite sure how he meant it, but it broke him down all the same.

"I'm…I'm so sorry…" Papyrus sobbed, lowering his head in shame.

He felt his body begin to tremble as tears stung at his eyes. They rolled down his face and Sans reached up with his thumb to wipe one away. The gesture stunned Papyrus. Sometimes he just couldn't understand his brother. He didn't know why the latter was being so patient and kind with him, especially after everything he had done, but he was thankful.

"it's okay, papyrus." Sans assured softly. He pulled the taller skeleton down and wrapped his arms around his shoulders as he hugged him tightly. Papyrus could hear the soft thumping of Sans's soul what with how his head was pressed against his bare ribs. The sound was soothing. "tell me what happened…"

"I…I got into a fight with Undyne…" He admitted quietly. "She…she wanted to know about you but I refused."

Sans tensed a bit. "i take it she didn't like your answer?" he asked rhetorically.

Papyrus shook his head, confirming the other's suspicion. "I got upset. Really upset." He continued, "She said I would never become a Royal Guard—"

"she didn't mean it." Sans cut in. He began rubbing soothing circles into Papyrus's back and onto his skull. He never knew his brother could be so gentle and so comforting. "she was probably as upset as you were. she was just saying things, that's all."

Sans was probably right. Undyne had a habit of being carried away by her emotions. Sometimes it lead her to say things she would never mean, but it was hard to gage whether he threat was empty like most of the other times. And yet, even if it was, Papyrus could never imagine himself joining the Royal Guard if they never fixed their friendship.

"I'd give it up." he said quietly. Sans shot him a puzzled look, "I'd give up being a Royal Guard for you. I'd give up Undyne for you too."

 _In a sense, I probably already have_. He reckoned silently.

"but…"

"You're my brother. No matter what, you'll always come first." Papyrus stated firmly. "I love you."

 **Just not in the way that either of us would like.**


	14. Chapter 14

**happy birthday to me**

* * *

The next day, Papyrus woke up a full hour later than he normally would have. Where he once would have been shocked with himself for displaying such laziness, he now could hardly find a reason to scold himself. He had meant to train with Undyne for the majority of the day though that was now impossible given their recent fallout. The taller skeleton rolled on his bed to glance at the alarm clock resting on his desk amidst his collection of figurines. It was eight in the morning which also meant that Sans would be at work. He would be all alone with his thoughts.

But before he could think anything further, a knock softly resounded against his door then opened quietly. "pap?" Sans whispered as he peeked in. He beamed at the sight of him awake. It was the last thing Papyrus expected, especially after yesterday. "good, you're finally awake! who's the lazy bones now, hun?"

He was overcome by confusion. Why was Sans so…normal, happy even? Papyrus was sure he would be upset. Wouldn't everyone else be? Regardless, for the first time in his life, he wasn't chipper let alone in the mood for Sans's antics. He groaned and tugged his bedcover over his head. "Not today, Sans." He mumbled. After getting into a fight that had possibly ended his friendship with Undyne and getting caught in a lie by Sans when confessing his love, Papyrus just wanted to stay in bed and mope. He didn't have the energy to do anything else.

"do my _ears_ deceive me?" Sans gasped exaggeratedly.

"You don't have ears." Papyrus said and clutched the covers tighter in anticipation of what would surely come.

"not only did you wake up _after_ me," The smaller skeleton continued as he sauntered into the room, circling his way to his brother's bed, "but now you don't even want to _leave_ your bed. what sort of cosmic anomaly caused this unnatural turn of events?"

"Sans…" Papyrus groaned.

"has the great papyrus finally accepted the _right_ way of living?" Sans asked and the other could hear his sneer.

Maybe it was just an older brother thing, but Sans sure knew how to push his buttons. He had effectively said the right things to have Papyrus jolt out from beneath his bed covers into a sitting position and scowl at him. "Right way of living!?" He snapped while his brother cackled, "Sleeping all day and lazing around!? Wasting away both time and life doing nothing!? Absurd!"

"yeah?" Sans asked, inching a bit closer, "so what are you doing then?"

Papyrus opened his mouth to provide a detailed explanation but stopped. "I…I'm just not in the mood today…" he muttered softly.

Sans nodded almost understandingly. The taller skeleton thought he was about to leave him be but, instead, he acted. Faster than Papyrus knew his brother could be, he snatched the blankets and yanked them from his feeble grip tossing them to the other side of the room. He wore a victorious grin on his face.

"Sans!" He protested.

"gotta get up, bro." Sans said, shoving his hands in his sweat shirt pockets. "nothing's going to get better by sleeping through it. you taught me that."

Any desire to remain in his bed and sulk all day faded instantly. Papyrus wondered if Sans knew the impact behind his words. He probably did. He was smart, after all. Regardless, the taller skeleton was left speechless and averted his gaze for a moment. Sometimes it was so hard to see when a difference was being made through actions or words or both. There were times where Papyrus felt like the most he had accomplished was forcing Sans out of bed at a reasonable time. However, he now knew he had done more than he ever could have imagined. It made him feel good.

And how was he supposed to remain in his bed now? As great as it was to finally see the degree of impact he was having on his brother, it had also put him between a rock and a hard place. His goal was to help Sans get better, fight off his depression permanently through any means necessary. What would he think if he decided to stubbornly remain in bed all day? Surely, he would regress and Papyrus couldn't have that. Not after all the progress that had been made. With a heavy sigh, he slipped off his bed.

"Fine." He accepted.

"great. now get dressed!" Sans instructed as he waltzed out of the room. "we're going out."

Papyrus frowned, "Don't you have work?"

"yeah, but i took the day off." Sans shrugged.

"Sans, that's not good!" Papyrus schooled. So much for avoiding regression. "You shouldn't skip work!"

"it's fine; i called in sick." He grinned and winked, "i won't do it often, promise. just this once, for you."

Papyrus reluctantly nodded in acceptance. Sans thus shut the door and allowed him to change in privacy. The former listened to his brother's steps wander down the stairs and probably into the kitchen. He didn't understand why his brother was acting this way. He thought he would be angry. Why _wasn't_ he angry? Why was he helpful and supportive instead? It was almost like yesterday had never happened. Maybe he was pretending that was the case? That wasn't a good way to confront life, if it really was the case. Did that mean Papyrus himself would be stuck addressing the topic?

He sighed heavily once more before shuffling around his room. He slipped on his battle body and then marched downstairs to meet his brother. He found Sans in the kitchen heating the breakfast spaghetti on the stove just the way Papyrus liked rather than in the microwave, which ruined the taste in his opinion. Two plates were already set on the table with utensils.

"sit down, it'll be ready in just a minute." Sans said, stirring the combination of noodles and sauce with a wooden spoon.

The taller skeleton did as he was bid. He pulled the chair and sat down. Just as he did so, his brother took the pot from the stove and brought it over, serving each of them generous portions before placing the dirty dish in the sink. Then he took the remaining seat and dug in. Papyrus had a difficult time falling suit. None of this felt right.

"Why are you doing this, Sans?" He asked heavily.

His brother looked up, a mouth full of pasta, and gave him an inquiring look.

"Aren't you upset?" Papyrus continued, and he wished he didn't, "what I said…"

Sans swallowed his bite and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "yeah, i'm a little upset." He admitted and a pang of guilt and pain stabbed through Papyrus's soul. He felt like the scum of the earth. "but i get it. your emotions were running wild. _you_ were also upset and you weren't really in control."

"Don't make excuses for me." Papyrus pleaded, "Not when I don't deserve it."

"pap, i forgive you." Sans stated firmly. "this relationship is still too young for genuine 'i love yous'. you were upset and you said things you didn't meant because of it. it's normal. it happens."

"But you're okay with that?" Papyrus asked. He was at a lost. He just couldn't understand Sans in this very moment.

"sure." Sans shrugged, "at some point down the line, there will be a genuine 'i love you'. that day just wasn't yesterday."

"Ah." Papyrus muttered, feeling his shoulders sag. So the only thing he had betrayed the day before was the untrue confession and nothing else. That, at the very least, was good, he supposed. And yet, he would have much preferred if this had been Sans's reaction to realising their whole relationship had been nothing more than a charade. He would have been able to fix things with Undyne almost immediately if that were the case.

"you still seem troubled." Sans noted.

Papyrus flinched a bit, taken off guard. "I just don't understand how you can be okay with what happened." He confessed, "Even if you explained your piece, it's probably never going to make sense to me."

"well, pap, you mean the world to me." Sans said, "i can only be upset with you for so long. besides," he paused and began blushing, "i…i really enjoyed those other things you did to me…"

The taller skeleton felt a blush violently surface on his face as well. He was left wordless and blinking stupidly for a long beat. It was too early in the morning to make such indecent remarks. Nonetheless, he pushed the dark thoughts away, feeling something else creep in its place. "Seeing as you've taken the day off…" Papyrus began, his tone surprisingly low, "we could always…"

Sans's blush darkened and he was suddenly flustered. "n-not today…" he stammered nervously, "we've got other things to do…"

"Like what?" Papyrus asked.

"finish your breakfast." The other instructed and promptly began shovelling forkfuls of pasta in his mouth.

Papyrus frowned but finally complied. He ate his share of pasta and placed the dirty plates in the sink to be washed later. He would have washed them now had his brother not insisted they get going, thus the most he did was fill the basin with hot water to make the task of cleaning them simpler later. He consequently followed the smaller skeleton out the front door without an additional explanation of what they were meant to be doing.

"Sans." Papyrus repeated, exasperated. "What's going on?"

"you didn't train with undyne yesterday, did you?" He asked, turning around to face him. "well, we're going to make up for it today. _i'll_ be training you."

Papyrus gawked at his brother. _Sans_ was going to train him? _Sans_? Preposterous. As far as he could remember, the smaller skeleton had never done anything remotely close to fighting. How was someone who had spent the majority of his life sleeping it away meant to help him improve? How was he even supposed to rival Undyne's dynamism enough to make him work up a sweat? He just couldn't imagine it. It was impossible.

"don't give me that look." Sans pouted.

"Sorry, Sans, but I don't think it's a good idea." Papyrus admitted. "I mean, how am I supposed to fight you?"

"you already know the basics to hand to hand combat," Sans pointed out, "there's nothing more someone can teach you. you just have to keep practicing and improving your speed and accuracy is all. however, your magic attack can use some improvement."

"Do you even know how to make a magic attack?" Papyrus asked doubtfully.

"sure i do," Sans surprisingly claimed, "but today i'll be your target practice more than anything."

"What!? No! Absolutely not!" Papyrus snapped immediately. Where he had been somewhat on board with the idea despite his reserve, he was now entirely off it.

"why not?" Sans asked disappointedly.

"Sans. I could _kill_ you." Papyrus reminded him, "I could be using my weakest attack and it would end you in an instant. You've got no defense and no health. All I've got to do is hit you once."

" _if_ you can hit me." He challenged, but the taller skeleton was having none of it.

"No." He stated resolutely.

There was no way he would use his brother as target practice. Papyrus wasn't about to risk his life for that. He couldn't imagine living the rest of his life without him due to the latter not having been fast enough to evade a blow. Papyrus shuddered. Not only would the loss of Sans destroy him but living with the knowledge that he was the one to deliver the killing blow would annihilate his very existence. Nothing in the world would convince him to potentially commit fratricide.

"come on, pap." Sans cooed. He stepped closer and nudged him softly. "i'm not as defenseless as you'd think."

"How can I believe that?" Papyrus asked.

"let me prove it to you." He requested. "i'll bet you anything you won't be able to land a blow."

"Even your life?" Papyrus sneered bitterly.

"yes." Sans replied bluntly. "i'm _that_ sure of myself."

The answer troubled Papyrus. How could it not? He immediately began to recall that conversation he had had with Alphys months ago. She'd fallen to such a low point in her life that she was ready to end it all. Undyne had been the only thing to save her and Papyrus thought he had served the same purpose to his brother. However, his insistence on risking his life simply for Papyrus to train was disconcerting. What if he hadn't had the impact he thought he had? What if Sans had been more affected by what had happened yesterday than he let on? What if he wanted to…fall into the abyss?

"pap…?" Sans asked, concerned.

The very thought sent Papyrus's soul racing. He backed away from his brother in horror as his eyes began to water. Would his brother really have him do that? Would he really have him be the decisive blow? How could he do that to him? Was it revenge? No, Sans wouldn't stoop so low. But why would he make Papyrus do that?

"I-I won't…" Papyrus stammered, tripping on the front steps of their house and falling down, "I'm not…I'm not going to kill you…"

Sans himself looked horrified. "w-what? no! that…that's not…" he trailed off as he inched closer, his hand extended towards his brother. He wanted to comfort him, that much was obvious, but then he retracted his hand. He was troubled by the other's reaction.

"Then why are you insisting so much?" Papyrus finally broke into sobs and buried his face in his hands. Under those circumstances he not only would have been the one to kill Sans but also the one who pushed him to death.

"i just…" He started, his voice choked. He sounded like he was about to start crying as well. "i just wanted to help you train…to cheer you up…i-i didn't mean…i'm sorry…"

And then he broke into tears as well. For a moment, both brothers just cried in each other's presences. Both were wracked with separate accounts of guilt. Finally, Papyrus extended his arms and gathered Sans into them, hugging him tightly. A part of him was afraid he would turn into dust then and there. Romantic entanglements be damned, Papyrus loved his brother. He loved him too much to let him go or end him purposefully or accidentally.

"well…" Sans chuckled through the tears, "this didn't turn out how i wanted."

 _This didn't turn out how either of us would have wanted_. Papyrus thought but held his tongue. He didn't know what to say and thus elected to maintain his silence.

"i won't ask to help you train anymore." He added.

"No…" Papyrus muttered gruffly, "Don't ask me to hurt you anymore."

"i'm sorry." He apologised.

"It's okay." Papyrus sighed and pulled away from Sans. He spotted a passing monster quickly glancing away but he saw his grimace all the same. He supposed they must look rather silly crying and hugging just outside their house. But he didn't care. "I should probably exercise, though. You know, to keep my shape."

"i'll let you do your thing." Sans smiled and rubbed the tears from his face.

"You can come jogging with me." Papyrus suggested.

Sans burst into laughter. "yeah, no pap. not my thing. not unless you carry me."

Papyrus was about to roll his eyes when he considered the joking offer. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

"hun?" Sans gawked.

"Yeah, I've seen monsters carry things with them while running." Papyrus said, "One of them told me it was to build muscle and make the run more challenging."

"u-uh…well, i was joking…" Sans mumbled sheepishly.

"I wasn't." Papyrus declared and stood from where he sat, dusting himself. "Hop on my back."

Sans was hesitant but ultimately conceded, "people are going to give us weird looks." He stated.

"People already give us weird looks." Papyrus shrugged. "I don't think they'll be too surprised to see me running around with you on my back."

"aww, whatever." Sans chuckled.

Papyrus lowered himself to help Sans ease onto his back. His brother wrapped his arms around his shoulders while he offered additional support by holding his legs with his arms. When he was sure the smaller skeleton had a good grip and wouldn't fall off, he began running. They crossed through Snowdin and received plenty of odd looks from other monsters, though most quickly rolled their eyes and glanced away. Sans chuckled and pointed out the people's who's stares lingered.

They quickly left the snowy little village entering the forest. There they were sheltered from bizarre looks. It was oddly quiet around them but in a relaxing way. So relaxing that it took little time for Sans to slump against Papyrus's back and fall asleep. He snored softly as the taller skeleton continued his run through the forest. The weight of Sans wasn't quite as big of a burden as he thought it would be though it did help him work up a sweat. He wasn't even half way to the giant door leading to the old ruins and he could feel himself begin to strain a little.

Things hadn't gone quite as either of them had intended. Where Sans just had wanted to cheer him up, Papyrus had wanted to mope in bed all day. What transpired, in a sense, was a mix of both. Papyrus had certainly cried and lamented his mistakes but Sans had managed to lift his spirits in the end. Despite the weight he was carrying, he felt lighter now; especially after crying out his wound up emotions. Some things had sorted themselves in Papyrus's mind which also helped. He knew how much his brother meant to him now in a much more concrete sense. The dark thoughts he had had the previous day were nothing more than the product of heated emotions following his fight with Undyne. He cared for Sans and that would never change.

"Ha…there we are…" Papyrus panted as he caught sight of the door to the ruins. He slowed his pace to a walk and closed the remaining short distance left to it. After all that running, he was going to need a break before attempting the run back home, "Sans," he called and nudged, but his brother hardly stirred. Papyrus quickly realised he wasn't going to be able to get Sans to wake up any time soon. "Alright, fine…"

Carefully and agilely, he removed Sans from his back and held him at his front. Then he backed himself against the door, sliding down onto the snow. He held his brother close and opted to wait for him to wake up on his own. However, as time passed, Papyrus was starting to feel sleepy. It was strange how the energy had suddenly been zapped from him. Perhaps he could nap for a bit to give Sans the time to wake up. Slowly, he shut his eyes, barely noticing how it began to snow.

 _I love Sans…_ he thought as he dozed off.


	15. Chapter 15

"Well that was a terrible idea." Papyrus shuddered, teeth clacking together with a warm blanket tightly wrapped around his shoulders. He was absolutely freezing cold after having slept for a couple of hours in the snow with Sans. It was the first time he could remember ever being bothered or affected by the Snowdin cold. The two were now huddled in the kitchen in front of the open oven for warmth.

"i'll say." Sans chuckled, "weren't you supposed to be the responsible one?"

"I _jogged_ all the way from our house to the ruins with you sleeping on my back." Papyrus pointed out, "Of course I was going to need a break."

"but then you fell asleep." Sans said and reached over to place his hand on Papyrus's shoulder, "seems like a part of me is finally rubbing off on you, bro. i'm proud."

"Ack! No!" Papyrus protested and shrugged his hand away, "There's only one lazy bones in this house and it's you!"

Sans laughed and tugged his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them. "so my first attempt at cheering you up failed horribly," he began, tilting his head to look at Papyrus, "how about attempt number two?"

"Number two?" Papyrus repeated.

"yeah," he nodded, "first attempt was me trying to get into your head and figuring out what you would have liked. where i'm normally pretty good at that, i messed up this time. so the second attempt is just asking you what you would like to do."

"What I would like to do…" Papyrus mused. They couldn't go outside. He couldn't speak for his brother, but he was still freezing – a new sensation he wasn't quite fond of. They would thus have to stay indoors which limited their options. They owned some board games but they were mostly favoured by Sans because they were very complex and necessitated advanced knowledge of mathematics and a keen mind for strategy. Papyrus wanted something simple, he wanted— "A puzzle."

"sure." Sans shrugged. "you can go fetch it. i'll just toast in front of the oven for a second longer."

Papyrus jumped to his feet and took long strides to get to his room. He climbed the stairs by the double and was at his door in mere seconds. He breached the entrance, shifting the blanket draped around his shoulders and tightening his grip as he looked around. He found a couple of boxes near the bottom of his book shelf and snatched them. He then returned downstairs and found that Sans had moved from the oven to their living room floor.

"Did you turn off the oven?" He asked as he sat down.

"yup." Sans answered and scooted closer.

He sat close by Papyrus and looked a bit awkward. So the taller skeleton placed the boxes of puzzles down, then stretched his arm out to grab Sans and pull him into his lap. He seemed flustered and blushed as he was moved. Papyrus, on the other hand, was very pleased to find his brother still radiating from the heat of the oven and thus wrapped his arms around his middle and held him tightly in an embrace. He snuggled him firmly and nuzzled his face into the back of his neck.

"So warm…" Papyrus muttered.

"yeah," Sans laughed tensely, "so, um…which puzzle do you want to do?"

Papyrus propped his chin on his brother's shoulder and glanced down at the boxes. He considered each of them carefully before making his pick. "The one of the castle." He decided, stretching out his arm to push the other boxes aside. It was a big puzzle composed of fifty pieces. It would take them a while to accomplish.

Seeing as Sans was placed in a better position, he removed the cover from the box and dumped out the pieces. He placed the cover on their left to be used as a reference while he organised the fragments. Papyrus watched him intently, unconsciously moving his hands around to warmer spots. He only realised what he was doing when Sans jolted and yelped.

"g-getting a little handsy there, hun?" Sans chuckled forcefully.

"Sorry." Papyrus apologised, "You're just so warm."

"okay w-well, the pieces are out." He said, gesturing the mess in front of them. "better start."

Papyrus nodded and pulled Sans further against his chest to get a better look at the pieces. He squirmed a bit but the former didn't pay him too much mind. He looked over the fragments of the picture and glanced at the cover before picking one. It was a side piece and he opted to isolate all of the similar ones that would undoubtedly build the rim of the final product. Sans watched him act without really intervening or adding pieces. The most he did was move around the ones he thought Papyrus wanted elsewhere, which he did.

They kept this up for a while. Bathed in total silence, Sans incredibly tense in Papyrus's arms, as the latter tried finishing the puzzle. He had only begun filling in the rim when he realised he wasn't very interested in the activity. For as much as Papyrus liked puzzles, today just wasn't the day he wanted to be completing one. He much rather be out training with Undyne or expending energy. As it was, he had hardly done any of that to the point of not being particularly hungry now that it was past noon.

"Let's do something else." Papyrus mumbled.

"not feeling it?" Sans concluded.

"Yeah, I want to do something more… _active_." The taller skeleton mused.

"i…i think i have an idea…" Sans confessed.

"Wha—"

But before Papyrus could finish his sentence, he was whacked in the face by something soft and fluffy. The taller skeleton toppled over, stunned by the sudden act of war. He found Sans standing over him victoriously with his blanket tied around his neck and a pillow proudly in hand. He had absolutely no idea how he had gotten a hold of it without him realising it.

"you look _bone_ boozled, bro." Sans snickered while Papyrus twitched at the annoying pun, "better _bone_ up."

"Sans, your puns are the absolute worst." Papyrus groaned as he slowly got to his feet.

"i disagree." Sans winked and took a step back, nearly tripping over the boxes of puzzles, "they're fantastic! they just go right _through_ you."

"Oh my god, stop!" Papyrus whined and chucked a sofa cushion in his direction. Sans easily dodged while a laughed rolled out of him.

"make me." He grinned and winked, "until then, _bone_ guard!"

"You can't just add the word 'bone' in everything to—nyeh!" Papyrus ducked out of the way when Sans hurled the cushion he had just thrown in his direction back at his face. He frowned at him. So he was going to play dirty, hun? _Fine_. "Prepare to lose, brother." Similarly to the smaller skeleton, Papyrus tied the ends of his blanket together around his neck and then snatched a small cushion from the sofa to wield as his weapon.

With his free hand, Papyrus tore a second big cushion from the sofa and threw it at Sans, nearly knocking the TV over when the latter dodged. He didn't have the time to worry too much about coming close to breaking it because Sans was running towards him with his pillow held high. Papyrus took a step back, ready to block the attack when the smaller skeleton tripped on his blanket and fell face first. He burst out laughing, unaware the mistake had actually been planned and served as a distraction for Sans to strike. He tossed his pillow up, hitting him in the face again and caught it on its way down before rolling away.

"that's two head shots." Sans stated, "bit of a _numbskull_ , are we?"

"You tricked me!" Papyrus gasped aghast.

"tricked you?" Sans laughed, "you know i don't have the _guts_ for that!"

Papyrus growled in annoyance. He was going to land at least one blow if that was the last thing he did. He grabbed the last cushion from the sofa and chucked it at Sans. Obviously, he dodged it. However, Papyrus had come to notice that his brother would only move as much as he needed to, to avoid the hit. He thus used the cover of the bigger cushion to throw his smaller one and successfully landed a blow at his face.

"Ha! Who's the _numbskull_ now?" Papyrus taunted victoriously, "What's wrong, Sans? You seem _rattled_! _Dog_ got your _bone_?" then there was a moment of silent realisation, "Wowie, I hate myself for what I just said."

"i thought you were quite _humerus_!" Sans fired back as he rapidly threw both cushions in his vicinity. Papyrus avoided the hits elegantly, also managing to catch his smaller cushion. "you really tickled my funny bone!"

"Your puns are literally killing me." Papyrus whined, "I can feel my hp dropping!"

Sans barked out another laugh, "you love it!" he claimed, tossing his pillow.

"I hate them so much!" Papyrus countered, blocking the small pillow with the bigger couch cushion that had previously been thrown.

Sans's only weapon fell to the ground at Papyrus's feet. Now defenseless, the taller skeleton took advantage of his situation. He threw the big cushion he had just used as a shield at Sans. The latter dove and rolled beneath the blow, heading for his pillow. As smart as the move had been, Papyrus had anticipated it. He timed everything perfectly and wacked his brother in the face as soon as he reached for his coveted item. He felt very proud of himself, even if Sans had still to rearm.

"two for two." Sans noted and gripped his pillow with both hands.

"How does it feel to be losing?" Papyrus chuckled.

"i'm not losing yet!" Sans reminded.

Their pillow fight pursued for over an hour. During that time, they made an absolute mess of the living room, moving the sofa as cover and finally knocking down the TV – though Sans had somehow managed to keep it from breaking. Eventually, their battle field extended to the kitchen where they used pots and pans as armour or shields. By the end of it, they stood in the middle of their mess breathless. Papyrus's blanket was still hanging loosely around his shoulders whereas Sans's had lost his somewhere around the middle of their fight though now wore a pot on his head.

"I…I win…" Papyrus declared with bated breaths.

He had to admit Sans was faster and had more energy than he gave him credit for. He was also excellent at dodging, though he hadn't been able to avoid all of Papyrus's blows. It cemented the worry he had previously had at the beginning of the day wherein, had he trained with his brother by using him as target practice, he easily could have killed him. However, he forced the thought aside. It was depressing and they were currently having fun. He wasn't about to put an end to it by thinking of such morose things.

"n…not yet…" Sans panted. He was one point from tying scores with Papyrus. The latter didn't think he would be capable of doing so given how exhausted he now seemed. He had lost considerable speed in comparison to when their pillow fight first began.

"Admit defeat to the Great Papyrus!" The taller skeleton insisted. He was also very drained though was doing a better job at hiding it than his brother.

"no!" Sans refused.

He rushed Papyrus at an admittedly slow pace but it seemed fast for the both of them who were very tired. The pot on his head fell off, clanging noisily against the floor, and the smaller skeleton raised his pillow but just barely to deliver his final attempt at scoring a tying point. Sans ended up simply crashing into Papyrus's chest and knocking the both of them over. They laid in a tangled mess, utterly beat.

"Victory…" Papyrus cheered without the slightest enthusiasm.

"curses…" Sans mumbled just as exhaustedly.

Their stomachs then growled simultaneously. They had worked up an appetite after skipping lunch and running around, destroying their house for so long. The loud, gurgling sound had them both laughing. They were probably getting close to supper at this point. Papyrus wasn't sure he had the energy to make it, though.

"man, i'm starving." Sans huffed, resting his chin on Papyrus's chest, "but i don't want to move."

"I can hardly imagine that you're comfortable." Papyrus chuckled, "that being said, I also don't want to move."

Sans uttered a laugh as well. He met Papyrus's gaze just as silence washed over the both of them. There was a palpable shift in the mood. Papyrus could see it visibly in the way his brother began blushing and his eyes dimmed. His soul raced a little as he leaned up and met his brother in a soft, lazy kiss. It was simple, no tongue, but it was nice. It also didn't feel out of place nor like it was ruining the moment for Papyrus – in fact, he felt like it improved it.

"That was fun." The taller skeleton said when they broke apart. Sans nodded in agreement, "Thank you, by the way," he added and elaborated further when the other gave him a puzzled look, "you took the day off to cheer me up."

"well…" Sans muttered bashfully, "just like you'd do anything for me, i'd do anything for you. you come first for me too."

Papyrus smiled. He felt very close to his brother in that moment.

"and…" the smaller skeleton unexpectedly continued, "i-i wanted to ask…you know, 'cause it's been a while…n-not that that's the only reason—"

"Sans, just spit it out." Papyrus chuckled. Sans was so cute sometimes.

"right…" he sighed and blushed deeply, "i-i wanted to know if…you'd like to go on another date…? i'd organise it this time…"

Papyrus beheld his brother. He seemed so tense and nervous, like he actually thought there was a possibility the idea would be rejected. He anxiously avoided his gaze for what seemed to be that very reason and what could Papyrus do other than chuckle? He flipped them over and kissed Sans again before delivering his answer.

"Of course." He answered.

Sans blinked at him stupidly before breaking out into a toothy grin. "great! how does tomorrow sound?"

"Don't you have work?" Papyrus asked.

"right, how does _after_ tomorrow sound?" Sans corrected himself.

"Better." He smirked.

 _I love Sans._

"heh. to _marrow_."

 _Nevermind._


	16. Chapter 16

Papyrus looked himself over in the mirror nervously. As much as he was intrigued by Sans's date, it also made him anxious. He wouldn't be the one in charge of guiding the affair. He would have to see where his brother wanted to take things and at what rate. He wouldn't be able to have a plan already orchestrated in his head, instead he would be stuck improvising – something he wasn't particularly fond of. Papyrus was the skeleton with the plan. He liked being in charge because it made him feel more secure. He trusted himself more than he did others. And as much as he loved his brother and trusted him in most respects, he wasn't sure what to think about their date.

Where would Sans bring him? Would there be a lot of people? If there were, how would he be expected to partake in typical date activities like holding hands and kissing? What would they be eating? Would it be healthy? Even though he wasn't the one planning anything, was he expected to bring a gift? Should he have gone to fetch more flowers or maybe chocolates this time? Would Sans be angry that he had done neither? So many questions were racing through his mind and there was no way for Papyrus to find out. He couldn't just ask Sans, that would make him seem unknowledgeable in all things romantic – which, admittedly, he was, but no one needed to know.

Regardless, Papyrus took a final gander at his clothes. He wasn't wearing his battle body because Sans had told him he needed to wear something refined. Though he argued the battle body was a sophisticated piece of armour that served to maximize protection, maneuverability, and fashion, his brother still insisted it wasn't going to cut it. As such, wherever they were going, between the anxiety of being a good date and keeping their relationship a secret, Papyrus was going to have to have a talk with whomever established the dress code. Clearly, they didn't understand the battle body but, if they did, they would obviously allow it.

With that said, the taller skeleton opted to give in to Sans's request and wear more 'proper' clothes. His brother had picked out the outfit for him, something the Dating Guide had made out to be a positive thing though it made Papyrus feel like a child. He now stood in front of his full body mirror wearing a white dress shirt and a pair of nice black pants that had once been a part of his snazzy suit. When he had asked Sans why he couldn't just wear the blazer and tie that went with it, he was told it would be _too_ fancy. What he currently wore, it seemed, was the perfect balance between clean and casual.

Nonetheless, Papyrus had to admit he looked dapper. He still would have looked better in his typical clothes, but he could work with what he was given. Though, if he was being honest, the imposition of a new set of clothes for the night wasn't what was entirely bothering him. The Dating Guide had recommended one ought to look nice and make a visual effort for a date; what if someone noticed? What if someone saw them in nice clothes and deduced accurately that they were on a date? There would be nothing they could do to stop them if anyone came to such a conclusion. What was Sans thinking? His idea for a date seemed to be heading to their social destruction—

 _No, Sans is smart._ He reminded himself, _He knows, he understands our situation…he'll be careful, he has to be._

Papyrus couldn't believe his brother would willingly throw their lives away to pull off a nice date. He wasn't like that and, even though he hated having no control over the situation in its entirety, he had to trust in Sans. As the smartest person he knew, excluding himself of course, he had to believe that things would unfold smoothly and that the smaller skeleton would be capable of dealing with unexpected troublesome events if they so ever took place. But where most people could calm down by accepting they had no control, it simply wasn't the way the taller skeleton operated. He couldn't tell himself 'well there's nothing I can do' and be done with it because he desperately wanted some degree of control, especially over something so sensitive. He struggled not to think of the negative repercussions that could take place if Sans didn't place the same attention and care he himself would have.

 _Urgh! Calm down, Papyrus!_ He schooled himself. _It's going to be fine! It's going to—_

His eyes drifted from his reflection to his orange scarf strewn haphazardly on his desk chair. It was only when he saw it that his neck suddenly felt so bear. His fingers reached up, ghosting over the bones the vibrant but torn fabric once covered. And now that he glanced himself over once more, he felt so colourless. Despite Sans stating the outfit he had chosen would be perfectly fine as it was, he wouldn't mind if Papyrus still wore the scarf…would he?

 _Well, there's no harm in just trying it on, now is there?_ Papyrus told himself.

He snatched it from where it was previously tossed and easily wrapped it around his neck. He looked dapper before, but now he looked worlds better. That scarf brought colour and life to his image in a way that stubbornly made him decide he wouldn't be taking it off no matter how much Sans protested – _if_ he protested. With a final nod, Papyrus forced himself out of his own room. He made his way downstairs, finding his brother waiting for him in their living room. Sans was dressed in the clothes he had wanted to wear on their first date – white dress shirt, blue tie, dark blue bordering on black dress pants. He blushed and seemed flustered upon seeing the taller skeleton, his eyes falling and lingering on the scarf.

"you…you wore the scarf…" He said, hopping off the sofa.

"Yes." Papyrus answered, glancing down at it, "I thought it tied the whole outfit together."

"i agree." Sans nodded.

 _Good. No complaints._ "So where are we going?" Papyrus asked. He was feeling nervous all over again at the thought of there being a lot of people around.

"i thought i'd take you out to a restaurant." Sans replied, leading the way to the front door.

 _Restaurant? He can't mean Grillby's, can he?_ Papyrus mused. "Which one?"

"grillby's." Sans answered.

Papyrus's jaw dropped. He probably shouldn't be judging his brother's choice of date location, but he couldn't help himself. Why would they dress themselves so nicely for a noisy, inelegant pub? Not only was it ridiculous, but they might as well be carrying flashing signs reading 'hey, we're on a date'. Papyrus was losing his mind over the terrible choice when Sans suddenly burst out laughing at which point he knew he had made a dumb joke.

"Why do you do this to me?" Papyrus groaned.

"i just wanted to see your face." Sans chuckled. Well, at least he was in a good mood. "we're going to mtt resort."

Papyrus gasped audibly, "What? Really?"

The taller skeleton had no delusions over their financial situation. Their house was somehow paid off and so their bills in regards to it weren't as big as they were for others, but they still weren't doing good. Papyrus worked on call thus had an unstable salary. He could go for months without a shift and so he consequently didn't contribute much to their income – however, that would change once he became a member of the Royal Guard. For now, Sans was the one who was doing the most and despite his two jobs, he never seemed to be bringing in that much money. So how was it he could now afford a night out for the both of them at MTT Resort?

"don't worry about the money, bro." Sans assured like he had been listening to his thoughts the whole time. "i would have chosen something different if it was too much of a hassle."

Somehow, Papyrus struggled to believe that. "Alright…" he said tentatively, "But…are you sure?"

"absolutely." Sans grinned, "now let's go."

They walked out of the house, luckily finding no other monster within the immediate vicinity. Of course, the day was still upon them. They would undoubtedly run into others if they weren't careful about it. Papyrus wondered if Sans had a secret passage of the sort to get them to the restaurant. But what would they do once they finally arrived? Was there a private room where they would be eating their meal rather than in the public space with all the other customers? Papyrus couldn't imagine it was a cheap purchase if that was the case. However, first things first. A date called for typical gestures and the coast was clear.

"you seem tense, pap—" Sans started but was cut off when Papyrus swooped down and pressed their mouths together in a brief kiss. He blushed darkly, jerking back in surprise. "wha…?"

"I can't imagine we'll be doing plenty more of that with so many people around." Papyrus noted, "So I thought I would take advantage of this brief privacy."

Sans dropped his gaze, considering the comment and recognising its truth. The taller skeleton was just about to ask him how he planned to make their outing seem totally platonic when they were unexpectedly interrupted. "Hey!" A sharp, high pitched voice resounded a few steps behind them. Papyrus immediately straightened himself and jumped away, his soul racing in his chest. A little monster, yellow with no arms, stood in front of them, cocking its head curiously on the side. God, he hoped it hadn't seen them. "What were you doing just now?"

Papyrus was in an utter panic. What were they supposed to say? What was a good excuse to have been so close to Sans's face? How could it not think they were kissing? Their lives would be ruined, and Sans's date hadn't even begun—

"pap was just cleaning my face." Sans shrugged and strolled over to the little monster, "wants me to look my best and be presentable."

A smile broke out on its face and it laughed, "That's so like your brother!" it exclaimed gleefully, "Gosh! Sometimes I really doubt you're the older brother what with him taking care of you so much! Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"heh, i like it better this way." Sans chuckled.

"So are you heading out, then?" It asked.

"yep." Sans answered.

"Well, don't let me keep you waiting!" It declared and stalked off. "Have fun!"

"Who was that?" Papyrus asked as the little monster ran, nearly tripping on its own feet.

"just a pal." Sans shrugged, "come on, let's go."

The brothers headed towards the Riverperson's port, finding them waiting and humming to the water. They had come across other monsters along the way. A few of them said hello to Sans but none of them made comments or seemed off put by their clothes. Papyrus was thankful for the lack of interest. He didn't know what he would say to dissuade their suspicions, though Sans probably would. He seemed to be a quick thinker and savvy liar. Papyrus wasn't sure what to think about the last realisation. Nevertheless, the Riverperson was on all fours at the tip of their boat, face inches from the water as it sang. Papyrus opted not to ask questions. They were a peculiar monster and he honestly didn't want to know.

"hey." Sans said, grabbing their attention.

"Oh! Hello!" They exclaimed jovially, "I was just singing to the water. It likes it but it's hard of hearing. Would you like to ride in my boat?"

"Yes please." Papyrus answered.

"Come along, then!" The Riverperson beckoned. They stepped back to allow space for the skeleton brothers, "Where to?"

"hotland." Sans supplied and took a comfortable seat whereas Papyrus chose to keep standing.

The ride was curiously short – as was typical of the Riverperson. In less than two minutes, they were left at the Hotland port and were on their way. They used the complex elevator system to maneuver their way through the area. For once it was fully functional and they could directly get to MTT Resort. Papyrus could hardly contain his excitement the closer they got. He easily forgot all of his worries until they happened upon the prestigious place and found it littered with people. All the monsters hovering around in the lobby wore extravagant yet snooty clothes. Most were huddled together in small groups of three or four complaining about various things.

"You should have booked us a reservation!" Papyrus overheard one monster complain to another as they passed by them.

"We need to book a year in advance!" The other retorted.

"Well, then why did you bring us here!?" The first snapped.

The rest of their conversation was lost in the brouhaha of the crowd. Papyrus followed Sans as he easily weaved his way through the monsters. After hearing that short conversation, he wasn't exactly sure they would manage to get a table. If what the monster said was true, then calling in for a reservation the day before wouldn't have amounted to anything. And yet, Sans seemed sure of himself so Papyrus simply opted to follow his lead. Thus, they reached the receptionist – a big monster with two tentacles for arms and immaculate makeup. She seemed to recognise Sans.

"There you are!" She exclaimed, stretching to see over the heads of countless monsters demanding tables. "Hurry up and get to your table! These people have been hounding me for it for the past half hour! They're relentless!"

"got it. thank you, debra!" Sans grinned and waved at her. She rolled her eyes and shrugged him off.

"Debra?" Papyrus repeated, following Sans into the dining area, "Do you know her?"

"sure i do." Sans smirked and stopped in front of the stage area.

"How? Has she come to the hot dog hot cat shack before?" He asked. Sans shook his head and pointed at the board next to the stage with his thumb. He seemed awfully proud of himself in that moment. Papyrus couldn't understand why until he saw what his brother was pointing to. It was a calendar displaying every day of the month and the performers that would put on a show during specific time slots. Sans's name figured on one of the bygone days. "Oh. My. God." Papyrus gasped in bewilderment. He inched close to the calendar in utter awe, "Is…Is this even real?"

Sans chuckled lightly, "you bet it is."

"Wha…but…you work here too?" Papyrus queried in wonder, "You have _three_ jobs?"

"no, not yet." Sans explained and guided the taller skeleton the rest of the way to their table, "word got around that i'm a pretty funny guy. mettaton had an act cancelled at the last minute and needed a replacement so he asked me to put on a show."

"Is that how you paid for this?" Papyrus inquired, sitting down across from Sans.

"bingo." Sans winked, "he offered to pay me a lot of money, but i told him he owed me a favour instead and i called it in. so order whatever you want pap, everything's absolutely free."

Just then, their waiter for the night arrived. He was a cat-like monster with heavy bags beneath his eyes and a permanent frown seemingly pulling his face down. He looked completely miserable, but Papyrus was too excited by being at the grand MTT Resort to notice. The teenager sighed deeply as he handed them menus.

"Hello, welcome to MTT Resort." He said entirely monotone, "I'm your waiter, my name is unimportant, would you like to start off with a drink?"

"Why does your name tag say 'burgerpants'?" Papyrus asked, leaning closer to get a better read of the printed name.

The waiter twitched and seemed to want to explode, but he held it in. "Would you like to start off with a drink?" He repeated tensely through gritted teeth.

"just water for now." Sans said.

"Very well." He muttered equally as edgily, adding a quiet little: "I hate my job so much" for himself as he left them.

"feeling more relaxed?" Sans asked. Papyrus looked up with a questioning look. "don't think i didn't notice how tense you were before."

"I am feeling… _better_." Papyrus conceded. As much as he thought they would stand out, they didn't. Their garb was up to par with those of the other patrons and he supposed they only seemed like a pair of brothers out for supper rather than a date. But Papyrus wouldn't be able to truly relax until the date successfully concluded itself and they found themselves behind familiar, private walls.

"good." Sans sighed.

"So you met with Mettaton?" Papyrus probed. He hadn't forgotten in the slightest how his brother had said the famous robot approached him. "What was he like? Did you get an autograph?"

"he was fine." Sans shrugged, "i didn't get an autograph though."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Papyrus questioned.

Despite clearly not being angry, Sans seemed to react like he was reproaching him of it. The taller skeleton felt bad, but didn't know what to say to make it better. However, before he could start explaining how he meant the question, he notice a blush build at his brother's cheeks.

"um…maybe i was…jealous." He mumbled quietly.

"What? Why?" Papyrus asked, confused.

"because i know how much you idolise him…" Sans continued, averting his gaze as his blush deepened, "i-i don't know…i thought he would steal you from me…or something…"

Papyrus felt his cheeks heat up. "D-don't be silly!" he stammered; why did his non-existent stomach feel weird? "You're the one I'm—"

"Your water." The waiter announced with his return.

Papyrus hadn't noticed him. He was glad he hadn't said anything more lest he overheard. _What was I going to say…?_ He thought with concern. He felt wrong. Very wrong.

"Have you had a chance to look at our menu?" He asked, "Probably not, you were too busy staring into each other's eyes."

"W-what!? We were doing no such thing!" Papyrus protested, flustered and nervous.

The waiter gave him a strange look. "it was a figure of speech pap." Sans indicated, "he didn't mean it literally."

"Oh."

"Whatever." The teen sighed disinterestedly. He stared up at the ceiling in exasperation for a short beat. "So. Do you need more time…or?"

"nope." Sans declared, "we'll have one of everything."

The waiter's eyes popped open. "One of…? But that's so expensive—" he stopped and squinted at Sans, "Hang on, are you the guy who asked for a favour from Mettaton?"

"yep."

The waiter clasped Sans's shoulders and, with tears in his eyes, said: "Make him pay."

"whoa, someone has a lot of pent up rage inside of them." Sans chuckled.

"You have no idea." The waiter said and trudged off.

Papyrus watched him go for a moment. What a strange person he was. "One of everything? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

"maybe. but we can share with the people in the lobby if it makes you feel better." Sans offered.

"That sounds like a good idea." Papyrus approved.

From there, the date developed very smoothly. He talked a lot with Sans in between waiting for the next dish to be served. The food itself was exquisite. It was hard to find any negative points to every meal. The skeleton brothers would have likely devoured every last one of them if they were capable of such a feat. Instead, they ate a little bit and sent the plate to the mob of starving people still begging for a table at the restaurant. Their waiter was engulfed more than once by the group of people in their haste to snatch the plates. It took a lot of employees to fetch him from their greedy clutches.

The anxiety of being discovered faded rapidly. Where Papyrus had once worried over whether his brother would take the same care as he would in ensuring no one knew the nature of their outing, he no longer felt that way. Some patrons who recognised Sans swung by their table and Papyrus found his brother was a natural born liar – which was obviously cause for concern, but not in the present moment. When they would ask what brought him here of all places, he merely said he was out having supper with his brother at a restaurant they had always wanted to visit. It was a simple lie that didn't raise any eyebrows or necessitate further questioning. Actually, once it was first said, Papyrus wondered why he thought it would be so obvious they were going on a date. Anyhow, the smaller skeleton would then find a hasty way to send the visitors off so they could resume where they had left off.

Sans and Papyrus spent a lot of time easily chatting with one another over the course of their night. They mostly talked about Mettaton because Papyrus wanted as much information as he could squeeze out from his brother. Eventually, Sans promised him that he would ask Mettaton to meet with him in person if he ever asked him to replace another cancelled show. Papyrus was utterly delighted by the proposal. He never dreamed that he could ever meet his idol one day. Regardless, the taller skeleton found himself surprised with how easy it was to have a conversation with Sans. He really was charming and funny when he wasn't making stupid puns or lame jokes. All in all, they had a really nice time.

The skeleton brothers left the restaurant when there were hardly any patrons left. Their waiter – and at this point Papyrus was nearly certain his name really was as it said on the tag: Burggerpants – was more than glad to see them off. He had done far more walking than he normally would have what with bringing plates from the kitchen to their table and then to the mob of people outside. Speaking of, the majority of the folks looming at the entrance had long since left and those who remained had fallen asleep in various awkward positions around the lobby. Papyrus and Sans made sure to step around them quietly and with care as they left.

They walked home in silence – comfortable silence. Papyrus felt very content and whenever he peeked at this brother, he knew he also felt the same way. They had had a wonderful night and the taller skeleton couldn't wait to relive a similar experience in the near future. Perhaps he should think about going on dates more often with Sans. The two hopped in the first of many elevators they would have to take on their way down to the Hotland port and found themselves alone. As soon as the doors shut, Papyrus reached over and took Sans's hand in his. His non-existent stomach area felt strange again, but he elected to ignore it. This was nice. He enjoyed this. Of course, it was nearly over as soon as the elevator doors opened again to reveal monsters.

 _I love Sans._ He told himself and it hardly felt like a lie this time.


	17. Chapter 17

**Reply to anon Melodie Norman: I don't know why you thought the story was done; so long as it's marked "in progress" there will be weekly updates. So be patient.**

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With Undyne out of his life for the foreseeable future, Papyrus began to spend a lot of time with Sans. Aside from training on his own to keep in shape, it was the only thing he could do. He got to know his brother much better, noticing quirks and tendencies that had once eluded him. For instances, Sans would fiddle with the sleeve of his sweater when he was nervous or flustered by something. He would also never say when he wanted physical affection of the sort with words; instead he hinted to it through gestures. Where Papyrus once had the worst time of his life figuring that out, he could now tell what he wanted from how the smaller skeleton moved about. When he would lean against his arm, it meant he wanted to be held. When he grazed their hands together, it either meant he just wanted to hold hands or wanted a kiss – the latter seemed to be the case more times than not whenever they found themselves seated. When Sans kept to himself, avoided eye contact, and shifted awkwardly in place, it meant he wanted to do lewd things. Papyrus wasn't one to deny him of his desires, especially when he also found pleasure in indulging them.

Papyrus loomed over Sans, thrusting his tongue hard against the other's in a sloppy kiss as they slowly grinded their hips together. They were on the sofa. The taller skeleton had one of his brother's arms pinned above his head, their fingers intertwined together, while the other was pressed by his head to keep himself propped up. It would seem that most of their days now consisted of this. Sans would wake up early to go to work and, when he would finish, they would find themselves on the couch partaking in varying displays of affection and intimacy. It was nice.

The taller skeleton struggled to fathom why he had once been so bothered by the prospect. His opinion on incest had hardly changed, but indulging in it so frequently had made him numb to the disgust and torment that used to torture him. He suspected that his positive attitude also helped in some respects. Whenever Sans hinted to wanting whatever it was, he would only really focus on the pleasure it brought him. He adored the sparks of warm bliss that crawled through his bones whenever he found himself grinding into Sans or receiving a blow job. He drank in the sounds the smaller skeleton made when he touched his most sensitive spots or brought him to a climax. It no longer mattered that he was doing this with Sans – his _brother_ , because it felt so good and he was now accustomed to focusing on just that.

Papyrus gave a sharp thrust of the hips, creating delectable pleasure that had Sans gasping and effectively breaking their heated kiss. For a brief moment, they simply stared into each other's eyes and the taller skeleton felt like something was squeezing at his soul heart. He unlaced their fingers, pushing past the uncomfortable feeling in his chest, and moved his touch to Sans's pelvis while he attacked his neck with more kisses. The latter moaned, moving his head to allow for better access while he leaned into Papyrus's hand. More addictive sounds poured from his mouth as the heat of desire and sexual need increased tenfold. Papyrus felt his sexual magic steadily pool towards his pelvis and before long an ecto cock would sprout.

"papy…" Sans whined and gently pushed at his shoulders to move him from his neck. Papyrus reluctantly complied and glanced down at his needy brother. His face was mostly overtaken by a blue blush and his eyes were filled with lust. "please…could we…?"

Papyrus blinked in momentary confusion. It was the first time Sans was making a request of the sort and it took him a long beat to figure out what it was he wanted. His mind drifted to the Monster's Kama Sutra and the section he had read the day before: gay sex with a skeleton. Essentially, no stretching of the sort would be required before penetration because the sexual organs were created with magic. As such, they were all ready to go; one simply had to insert their dick and thrust. The book had also noted that skeletons seemed to be more reactive to sexual penetration than most other types of monsters probably because of their ecto organs. Papyrus could easily imagine Sans wrecked with pleasure, crying out in bliss as he was—but was that what he wanted? He couldn't be sure and didn't want to push anything.

"Could we what?" Papyrus asked, and he could feel his magic pool faster at the thought – and hope – of Sans actually requesting sex.

The smaller skeleton's blush deepened and he glanced away nervously. He tugged at the sleeve of his sweater which made Papyrus smile. "i…you know…" Sans mumbled awkwardly.

"No, I don't." Papyrus informed, "What?"

Perhaps he was being a little cruel at the moment as he was fairly certain his initial suspicion was the right one. However, he wanted to hear Sans say it. He wasn't quite sure why; it was just a dire need. Sans seemed all the more flustered. He finally covered his face out of embarrassment as he asked: "c-could we…have sex?" and it was probably the most adorable thing ever.

Papyrus felt himself blush a bit. He reached down, moving Sans's hands aside, and forced him to look at him. The taller skeleton admired the blushing mess for a moment. Sometimes, he was just so adorable. "Yes." He answered, enjoying Sans's reaction. "Though I don't imagine the couch is the best place for our first time."

"honestly, bro…" Sans huffed, unaware that the term had ruined a bit of the mood for Papyrus, "i don't care where it happens…"

"That may be the case for you, but I do!" Papyrus insisted, sitting back. "I think it should be sweet and romantic!"

Sans smirked amused, "fine." He conceded, "what do you want to do?"

Papyrus thought for a moment. From what little he had seen on TV, candle lit with flower petals seemed to be the way to go. That being said, the last part of the idea seemed needlessly messy despite it being integral to the romantic mood. And yet, he still wasn't quite sold on it. Perhaps he would have to find a different idea.

"You know, I'm not sure." Papyrus confessed as he sat back pensively.

Sans shifted from his position, now sitting on his knees next to his brother. "you know what i think is romantic…?" Sans asked slowly. "being with you…" As corny as it was to say, it was sweet. Papyrus— "…and doing it on the couch right now." _Never mind._

"Sans!" Papyrus schooled, "That is _not_ romantic at all!"

"does it have to be?" Sans asked and straddled Papyrus's lap. He was being surprisingly forward and the taller skeleton soon realised why when he felt something hard poke his hip. Sans was currently _very_ horny. Being aware of said fact also aroused Papyrus who was now getting slightly flustered. "we could always be romantic some other time…"

"T-that's not a terrible idea…" Papyrus stammered.

"good."

And they were on the verge of resuming their necking when a shy knock resounded against their door. The brothers paused for a moment, unsure on what to do. Papyrus was just about to go answer it when Sans stubbornly decided not to move from his lap.

"Sans, we can't just—" Papyrus argued.

"yes we can." He insisted and crashed their mouths together.

Against his better judgement, Papyrus indulged the kiss. He rested his hands on Sans's hips and guided him as he began to grind his throbbing bulge against him. He was actually rather excited at the prospect of finally having sex with Sans. Papyrus had read up on it quite a bit and was intrigued to compare the pleasure he would experience to what he had felt while doing other lewd things. It would seem that, in some instances, a blow job was arguably better than sex. He was curious to see which one he would prefer.

"papy…" Sans whined and tugged at his shorts.

Papyrus helped him ease them off, releasing Sans's ecto cock from its confines. He must have been very aroused as the tip of the organ was already beaded with white drops of cum. The taller skeleton reached down, giving a slow, teasing pump that had the other whimper and burry his face against his chest. However, if they were going to do this, Papyrus absolutely needed to see Sans's wrecked expression.

"No," Papyrus cooed gently, "look at me."

Sans did so reluctantly, embarrassed by his state. His flustered expression mixed with arousal sent a burst of sexual magic pooling towards Papyrus's pelvis. He was just about ready to conjure an ecto cock. The taller skeleton pushed Sans back against the sofa, into the position they had originally been in, and parted his legs to seat himself comfortably. All it would take was just a little more kissing and foreplay and—

 _Knock. Knock._

The sound was louder this time; impossible to ignore. Sans groaned in displeasure whereas Papyrus looked up towards it. If whoever had first knocked was still at the door, it meant it had to be reasonably important. Ignoring it further didn't seem like a good idea and there wasn't much guarantee that the monster would eventually go away. Papyrus looked down at his brother who seemed to be impatient in regards to proceeding with their intimacy.

"It'll just take me a couple of seconds." Papyrus offered with a sympathetic smile.

"fine." Sans mumbled with a pout.

Papyrus pushed himself off Sans and straightened his clothes as he walked to the door. He glanced once towards his brother, finding himself swallowing thickly at the sight of him. A part of him currently loathed whoever it was behind the door that was keeping him from having sex. Regardless, he composed himself before opening the door. The skeleton was rather surprised to see Alphys. She bore an equally astonished expression.

"Oh. You answered." She said meekly.

"Hello?" Papyrus responded uncertainly.

Alphys squeaked and jerked back in embarrassment. "R-right. Um, hello. Sorry to bother you." She stammered awkwardly.

"It's fine. I wasn't expecting you." Papyrus admitted frankly.

"Y-yes, well…neither was I to be honest." She sighed and hastily added; "Uh, n-not that I meant I wasn't expecting you! This i-is your house! I-I just meant I d-didn't know I would convince myself to c-come over unexpectedly!"

Alphys fidgeted anxiously and went out of her way to avoid eye contact in the midst of her ramble. She seemed particularly nervous – like she wasn't sure what she was doing was the right thing. It was curious. Papyrus wasn't quite sure how to handle her at the moment. He absolutely didn't want to be mean to her, but he also didn't want her to stay for too long. His mind briefly drifted to a half-naked Sans impatiently waiting on the couch.

"I understood what you meant." Papyrus assured with a forced smile, "What is it?"

Alphys took a deep breath and her gaze filled with determination. "May I come in?" She asked without the slightest stutter or hesitation.

Papyrus felt himself fill with panic. What was he supposed to do? Logically, he should send her away and tell her it wasn't a good time. However, she had come all the way from Hotland and whatever it was she had to say sounded important. Sending her away felt wrong, especially when all the courage it took her to come here in the first place was taken into consideration.

 _But Sans…_ Papyrus lamented.

How was he supposed to get Sans to hide or look composed before she could see him and be alerted to what was going on? He was half naked and if he did manage to put his pants back on in time, there would be a visible tent where there oughtn't be one. Alphys was smart. She was a scientist. She would immediately piece things together. It would get out that he and Sans were dating; Undyne would finally learn the truth, and they would live the rest of their lives in the Underground shunned in utter misery.

"Uhh…" He replied dumbly as a means to buy time. Papyrus had absolutely no idea of what he should do. Maybe he could find a way to warn Sans to hide. "Y-you want to come inside?" Papyrus repeated loudly. Alphys gave him a perplexed look.

"Y-yes." She confirmed. "It's important."

"Okay." He replied just as loudly, slowly backing away from the door to allow her entry. "We can talk in the kitchen or something."

"Why are you y-yelling?" Alphys asked with a confused grimace.

"I'm not yelling!" Papyrus defended, lowering his tone. Hopefully, Sans had gotten the message and was hiding somewhere clever. "Sometimes my hearing just goes for some reason. It's very bizarre."

"I can take a l-look…if you want?" Alphys offered, "I took a m-minor in medical sciences for fun. I might be able to h-help."

"Ah, no thanks! All better!" Papyrus laughed nervously, "It's a typical skeleton thing! No need to worry about it!"

"I-it doesn't sound normal…" She mumbled.

"Trust me. It is." Papyrus lied through his teeth.

"Okay." She conceded and then there was a moment of silence. Both shifted awkwardly until Alphys continued with; "S-so…are we going to g-go to the kitchen or…?"

Papyrus hadn't realised he had stopped moving. "Ah, yes!" He said, now actively leading the way. He had given ample time for Sans to be perfectly hidden. "Come along."

They walked by the living room. The smaller skeleton was out of sight, which was good. Papyrus was about to sigh with relief when he noticed Sans had forgotten his pants, which laid in the space between their couch and the TV. He froze, unsure of how to react to it. He opted to pretend he hadn't seen anything. Perhaps Alphys wouldn't notice them if—

"Are t-those pants?" She asked and Papyrus wanted to shout. He should have turned her away; he shouldn't have let her in.

"Yes." He confirmed because there was no point in lying about that. "They're Sans's. They must have fallen out of the laundry basket. I'll pick them up later."

"Oh." Alphys mumbled and looked away.

Papyrus sighed internally. He was glad that, although under pressure, he had still manage to produce a convincing lie. There was no reason to doubt what he had said as it was entirely plausible. Before either could notice more things aloof, the skeleton ushered the royal scientist into the kitchen. They each took seats at the table and Papyrus tried to look relaxed. He really hoped Sans hadn't hidden himself somewhere in the kitchen lest he be stuck searching through cupboards for a snack or beverage for Alphys.

 _Sans isn't stupid._ Papyrus assured himself tensely though he was hardly comforted by the thought. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Alphys knitted her fingers together and rested her hands on top of the table. She sighed deeply, twiddling her thumbs together. She seemed more stressed than Papyrus was himself. "I-I know it's p-probably not my place because it's none of my b-business…" She started slowly, "but I want…I want to talk a-about your fight with Undyne."

Papyrus straightened himself in his seat. He was taken by surprise and wasn't quite sure how to feel. The anxiety in the pit of his non-existent stomach shifted from being caused by potentially being caught to having to confront something he had successfully been ignoring for a while. Alphys stared at him cautiously, probably waiting for him to say something, but nothing came to mind. What did she want to hear him say anyway?

"She's upset." Alphys continued, "She's b-been super aggressive in her work…"

Papyrus still said nothing.

"She doesn't say it…" Alphys added tensely, "b-but I know she regrets what happened…she doesn't want to be on b-bad terms with you anymore."

"Do you want me to apologise to her?" Papyrus asked.

"N-not necessarily." She stammered, "I-I just want you two to make up…"

"I don't know if we can." Papyrus admitted honestly. It was the sad truth. He wasn't convinced that if he approached Undyne to try and mend things, that she wouldn't persist on knowing who he was dating. He couldn't risk her finding out the truth. "She needs to understand she can't know everything she wants to know."

"She understands t-that!" Alphys defended, "It's just…she doesn't understand w-why she can't know."

Papyrus frowned, "Yes, she does." He countered, "I told her; she just didn't like the answer."

"F-fair enough, I guess…" Alphys conceded almost too quickly, "I-I don't want to get in a f-fight with you…" She took a moment for a breather before concluding, "I just…wanted to help. I-I didn't mean to pry o-or stick my nose where it didn't belong, but…I can't imagine that e-either of you are happy with the way things are…"

Papyrus lowered his head. No matter how much he tried to convince himself he wasn't bothered more than he needed to be about his situation with Undyne, it was a lie – a lie that he just couldn't buy. Every morning he woke up, wanting to go to Undyne's to train but unable to. He had said he was ready to give her up and his dream to be a part of the Royal Guard for Sans and, as true as it was, it still made him completely miserable. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if Papyrus had more friends, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised no amount of friends in the world could replace Undyne's worth. He missed her.

But he had a duty to Sans first and foremost.

"You're a good friend, Alphys." Papyrus smiled sadly, "Undyne is lucky to have you."

The royal scientist seemed to instantly understand that her intervention had been to no avail. She was visibly disappointed but didn't reproach Papyrus of his decision. Instead she nodded and stood. "I hope you change y-your mind." Papyrus rose from his seat as well to politely guide her back to the door. "I'm sorry to have t-taken some of your time."

"It's alright." Papyrus said as he sent her off, "Have a good evening."

"I'll try." She responded with a tight lipped smile. "You too."

He waved her off before closing the door. Papyrus then slumped onto the floor leaning against it. His soul ached as he thought of Undyne and their lost friendship. _I love Sans._ He repeated to himself in a vain attempt to stop thinking about his best friend.

 _Former_ best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

**Some of you are really going to need to calm down. This is specifically directed to the anon he recently commented demanding more of this story. I'm not a machine, I already made a pledge to upload every week to the best of my ability. Respect that and wait.**

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The mood had effectively been ruined by Alphys and the topic she had brought up during her intrusion. The skeleton brothers had kept to themselves for the remainder of the day mostly because the taller of the two wanted to be left alone. He was glad his brother decided not to talk to him about what he had certainly overheard wherever he had been hiding at the time. He liked how Sans treated him more like an adult than anyone else and respected that if he wanted to talk about something, he would do so on his own without too much beckoning. Despite having refused to make up with Undyne, the pain of her absence in his life remained. What no one, aside from Sans, could understand was that breaking ties with her was the only way to protect himself and his brother; especially if she was only going to keep insisting on information regarding his romantic life. It wasn't a fun nor easy decision, but it was a necessary one. Papyrus could never be certain of how she would react to the truth and he decided he simply rather not know.

But, regardless of how negative things had gotten with Alphys's impromptu visit, it allowed for Papyrus to return to his original plan of making his first time with Sans as romantic as possible. A few days had passed and Papyrus had finally gotten the chance he so desperately desired to enact his plan. Sans had been working very hard the past few days. He had been suffering through eight hour shifts five days in a row which left him very tired at the end of each day. However, the smaller skeleton still made an effort to make the most of what little time he was home and spent it with Papyrus. They did their usual thing which was to engage in physical displays of affections. Contrary to all the other times before Alphys, they never went further than an intense make out session. Of course, all of that was about to change.

Due to the enormous amount of time Papyrus spent alone, he had ample of time to prepare their first instance of romantic love making. He had thrown his initial idea pertaining to flower petals and romantic candle lighting out of the window in favour of a much better, less messy option. Honestly, he was rather surprised his alternate solution hadn't come to him faster than it did – though, it may have been because of the slight concern he still bore in regards to it. It was a little repetitive which the Dating Guide had described as a big no. Still, Papyrus thought it was significantly different all the same and would thus be approved if discussing it with the author were an option.

As such, the day had come to implement his plan. Sans had just finished his last shift of the day and though he was left considerably tired, he agreed to follow Papyrus on a walk. It was dark out when they left. The lights that otherwise illuminated the Underground had been dimmed to mark the beginning of the night and to help monsters sleep. Consequently, there was practically no one outside and those who were out of their homes were at Grillby's having a drink. Seeing as they were sheltered by the darkness and mostly alone, Papyrus daringly took Sans's hand with the intention of holding it for the duration of their walk.

They slowly made their way into Waterfall. The aforementioned area was much darker than Snowdin given its humidity and abundance in water. When the monsters installing the light system across the Underground had reached the area, they had found little to no places to install lights without causing an electrical shortage or a serious accident. It made navigating through the area all the more difficult, but it was still manageable. Skeletons could fortunately see much better in the dark than most monsters.

"hey pap…" Sans yawned, "how long's this walk going to last? i'm really tired…"

"Not much longer." Papyrus indicated as he led the way off the main path. What little light had helped them steer this far into Waterfall would now be useless as they ventured into a more isolated area. No monsters ever hassled themselves to go where they were going. "We're almost there."

"can you carry me?" Sans moaned and buried his face into his brother's arm, "i want to sleep."

"Sans! Don't be lazy!" Papyrus chastised. "I want you to see this and you need to be awake to use your eyes."

Sans groaned but complied. Papyrus slowed their pace even more as they ventured further off the main path. It was even more difficult to see now and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally step into a hole or slip down an abrupt slope. However, his caution was soon thrown to the wind as he noticed what it was he was looking for in the Waterfall darkness. A small line of yellow lights could finally be spotted in the distance, illuminating the black grass over which it hovered.

"what…is that?" Sans asked squinting at it.

"Come on!" Papyrus encouraged.

They ran towards it, reaching it shortly despite tripping a few times along the way. The line of yellow quickly spread and became clearer. In fact, there never was a line of yellow as much as there was a giant herd of small, glowing orbs. The mysterious lights hovered in place about a feet or two above the blades of grass and moved in a leisurely up and down motion. Papyrus guided Sans further into the amassing of yellow lights, smiling wildly when spotting his awed expression.

"wh…what?" Sans muttered in amazement.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Papyrus asked, finally stopping and seating himself on the ground. He gestured for Sans to do the same. "I found it a long while ago." He explained as Sans sat down, eyes still fixed on the hundreds of orbs surrounding them, "Undyne and I had trained for much longer than anticipated. I came home very late and tried to take a shortcut. I found this instead."

"this is amazing…" Sans said. He stretched his hand towards the nearest yellow light and held it in his bony palm. He stared at it in complete wonder, "it's not generating any heat…" he noticed. Papyrus reckoned he was observing the light with his scientific brain, which was a little disappointing. Though he could understand his mesmerisation, he had brought him here to absorb the beautiful sight not study it. "i don't think it's alive…or, at the very least, sentient…"

Sans released the light for it to resume its slow up and down motion. Papyrus hugged his legs to his chest and stared at Sans with a smile playing at his face. "I should have waited until nightfall on our first date." He said, resting his chin on his knees. "That way we could have had a picnic beneath these lights."

Sans blushed a bit, unsure how to respond. "our…first date was fine. better than that actually, it was perfect." he stammered a bit. Papyrus thought it was adorable. "i like this too…" he sighed, glancing up at the lights, "they kind of look like stars."

Papyrus looked at them as well. He supposed they fit the descriptions of stars in books better than the blue glow stones on the carven ceiling. Where the latter objects were all roughly the same size and emitted the same amount of light, the yellow orbs varied greatly and shimmered. In the end, the taller skeleton didn't care much. He simply thought they were pretty and he was glad Sans appreciated them so much.

"pap…" Sans quietly mumbled, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. He seemed a bit flustered and curled in on himself. "i…thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"i never expected anything like this…" Sans admitted, averting his gaze to the grass in front of his feet, "you've been so kind and caring…"

"Sans, it worries me that you would think you deserve anything less." Papyrus said seriously, scooting closer.

Sans smiled bitterly, neglecting to respond to the comment. "i never dreamed anything like this would ever happen…" he elected to confess instead, "i'm glad this is real."

Something about Sans's tone pulled at Papyrus's soul heart. He sounded both sad and incredibly sincere. The taller skeleton didn't know what exactly he was supposed to do so he opted to kiss him. He stroked Sans's cheek gently and brought their mouths together in a soft kiss. He could feel the other melt into his embrace. Papyrus held him close before gently pushing him down against the grass as he climbed over him. He pulled away to get a good look at Sans and couldn't help but smile when seeing him so shy and blushingly nervous beneath him.

"You're really cute, Sans." Papyrus said, increasing his brother's blush, "And you deserve so much more than I'm capable of giving you."

He then leaned in again for another kiss. The two opened their mouths, thrusting freshly conjured ecto tongues together, but moving leisurely and sensually. Sans wrapped his arms around Papyrus's shoulders, reducing the already small distance separating their bodies. It was nice and quaint; the last thing the taller skeleton had expected it to be. However, the moment they had shared was gentle and sweet and it felt wrong to engage in a needy, messy kiss immediately after it. Besides, it wasn't as though they were in a rush.

They enjoyed themselves – _tasted_ each other thoroughly as they kissed. Papyrus was lost in the moment. He was focusing on how nice it felt to kiss and hold Sans; he hardly noticed when he began grinding their hips together. The little whines and cries of pleasure uttered by the smaller skeleton were what brought him out of his kissing euphoria. He loved the sounds his brother made too much to overlook them, no matter how small and quiet they were. Now more aware of his gestures, Papyrus deliberately grinded into the skeleton beneath him. He pushed their hips together hard and moved in ways that he knew drove Sans's mad with lust. And sure enough, he got significantly louder very quickly.

"w-wait! pap…" Sans gasped through languid moans, "what if someone comes…? what if someone sees…?"

"No one knows about this place but us." Papyrus reassured, kissing Sans's forehead, "But if someone were to accidentally find their way here like I did…then let them see."

Of course, Papyrus didn't actually mean that last part. It just felt like the right thing to say. It seemed to win Sans over immediately. Their mouths crashed back together in a much more heated kiss. Their hips canted together, creating a delectable friction, but it wasn't enough. Papyrus moved his hands to Sans's pelvic bone and began kneading into the most sensitive areas. The smaller skeleton quickly became putty in his hands. His moans were longer, deeper, and far more desperate. There was something about this situation that Sans found even more arousing than that time on their sofa. Before long, his ecto cock sprouted forth and Papyrus's followed suit only a short amount of time after.

"papy…" Sans whined. "i need this…i need you…"

They kissed one more time before Sans slipped off his pants and opened his legs. Papyrus took a moment to simply take the sight of him in – much to the other's embarrassment. Sans looked so desirable, sprawled in front of him with his hard cock erect and already leaking pre-cum from anticipation. He covered his face with his arms out of shame, but Papyrus wasn't going to have any of that. He gently took Sans's wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand.

"I want to see you." He said lowly.

Sans blushed deeply and nodded while gulping thickly. He was nervous; they both were. The confidence and need they had once felt when they thought their first time would be at home on a couch had disappeared and molded into something new. Perhaps, to a degree, the two didn't really think the time before was going to go anywhere. Now, however, it was real and it was absolutely going to happen.

The smaller skeleton gave Papyrus a brief nod to indicate he was ready. With a heavy breath, Papyrus used his free hand to grip his cock and guide it to Sans's entrance. He poked it with his tip, teasing half-heartedly by applying pressure but never breaching. Sans emitted a low whine, frowning at the taller skeleton to signal his impatience, and Papyrus decided to simply concede. He pushed his cock in as far as it would go into Sans. It slid in very easily and pulled the most delicious sounds from his brother.

"ahh!…papyrus…" he whimpered, clenching his teeth together.

Sans felt so good. He was tight and squeezed Papyrus's cock just right that it was unbearable to not move. As such, he slowly began thrusting. He watched the smaller skeleton carefully to see if he wanted to stop, but Sans seemed already lost in the pleasure. His eyes were dimmed with desire and the moans that poured from his mouth were absolutely filthy but incredibly arousing. Papyrus wanted – _needed_ to hear more. He released the grip he otherwise had on Sans's wrists in favour of holding his pelvis to help with the thrusting. The smaller skeleton gasped and cried out as Papyrus's movements quickly became rapid and merciless so soon after first having been penetrated. However, he didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

Papyrus groaned and moaned along with Sans. Sex felt worlds better than anything they had previously done. What's more, Sans looked absolutely wrecked already. He was clutching at the grass beneath him desperately as he cried out. He was being so loud that Papyrus wouldn't have been surprised at all to learn the monsters living in the area had somehow managed to hear him. But, in that moment, it didn't matter.

They were intoxicated with desire and a thirst for more. The noise of their moans and the slapping of their ecto organs together filled their heads and it was all either could hear. Neither wanted it to end, though it inevitably would. Regardless, Papyrus was already looking forward to their next time together like this. They could do it on the couch this time or in the kitchen or anywhere and everywhere in the house. It didn't matter. Their first time had been romantic like he had wanted and Sans would feel all the more appreciated and loved because of the beauty of the setting.

"haa…pap! i-i'm so close papy!" Sans cried, grabbing a hold of his scarf and squeezing it tightly as he buried his face in the crook of Papyrus's shoulder.

"I'm…I'm close too." Papyrus groaned. He felt his movements become more sloppy and erratic – not that they were perfectly tempered at the start. Nevertheless, the coils he felt in his sexual magic were building and tightening. Soon he was going to—

"o-oh god, papy!" Sans moaned deliciously, "i-i love you! i love you so much!"

Papyrus nearly stopped short at the confession. He gave a final thrust which had both he and Sans spilling their seed. Sans was the one mostly dirtied by this with only a few scarce drops landing on Papyrus's battle body. And yet, that was the last thing he could think of. The in the heat of the moment confession had stunned him. It had been the first time since he initially admitted to having romantic feelings for him, that Sans had said "I love you" and Papyrus knew he meant it in a more meaningful way this time. It was terrifying.

It was terrifying not because Papyrus didn't reciprocate the feeling, but rather for the exact opposite reason. His soul heart fluttered and every fiber in his being genuinely wanted to return the spoken affection. But it was absolutely wrong. He couldn't love Sans because it was disgusting. Their romance wouldn't go anywhere – the Underground could never know. If he really loved Sans in that gross, perverted way, he really would have to give up Undyne and his dream of being in the Royal Guard.

 _No…I don't love Sans._ Papyrus desperately thought to himself. _I can't…_

Luckily Sans had passed out from a mix of exhaustion and bliss and so hadn't been privy to Papyrus's subsequent meltdown.

 _I was pretending…it was a lie! It was just a lie!_


	19. Chapter 19

**This story might be going on hiatus for a little bit. We're close to the end and if I'm REALLY lucky, I'll be able to finish it all in no time. However, on the 19th of August, I'm peacing out to Newfoundland to visit my grandma for 9 days and when I come back, I'll probably have work shifts and if I don't, well University's just around the corner.**

 **I don't plan to bring my laptop with my on vacation and, if I do, it'll be to store the pictures I take with my camera or to give updates to my family and friends through social medias. I won't be writing anything for either of the stories I'm currently working on. I'll be able to give more specific details when we're closer to the 19th of August, but as is, I don't believe I'll be able to finish everything before I leave.**

* * *

Papyrus had fallen in love and it was terrible. The last thing he had ever meant to do was stoop to Sans's level, but it had happened without him noticing it. He blamed himself a great deal for it. Had he been better educated in love and knew how to recognise it, he would have noticed it and stopped it from flourishing. He wished so dearly he had known that the awkward feelings he felt in his stomach area, and the strange soul heart palpitations he experienced whenever Sans did something cute or endearing were physical indications of being enamoured. However, more importantly, he wished he had paid any attention to his near slip of the tongue during Sans's date at MTT Resort. Had he decided to confront what he had been about to say, maybe he could have done something to change his fate.

Now, it was too late. It had happened so abruptly with no way to stop it; like he was slowly climbing a hill and, once he reached the top, he fell down the cliff side with nothing to grip to stop his descent. Once at the bottom, Papyrus realised, much to his despair, that there were no means to climb back up to where he fell. He would probably have to live with these despicable emotions for the rest of his life.

Two days had passed since his horrifying epiphany. They were sat on the living room sofa watching TV. Sans had taken a spot between Papyrus's legs, back leaned against his chest, and hands resting over the lazy embrace that hugged his waist. He was probably very happy and content with their position; or so Papyrus gathered from how unbothered he seemed. Sans could easily watch the show currently playing and laugh along with some of the more comedic moments without a care in the world. As for Papyrus himself, well, he could hardly focus on the images appearing on the screen at all.

He felt sick.

He probably _was_ sick. Where a sweet little moment of cuddling on the sofa with his brother would have otherwise pleased him, Papyrus felt absolutely revolted with himself. The feeling was intense to the point where his arms felt wrong for holding Sans the way they were. He wanted to rip them off. He wanted to tear all the parts of him that ever touched Sans lewdly from his body and cast them aside forever. But that was impossible. Papyrus felt contaminated – he felt _repulsive_. He wanted to push Sans off of him and run into the shower to scrub himself clean because it was the only thing he could do. A part of him naively believed that, if he scrubbed for long enough, his perverted feelings would leave and he would be alright again.

Sans momentarily interrupted his inner dilemma when he leaned further against Papyrus and shifted into a better position. He unintentionally grinded against the taller skeleton, creating the ghost of pleasures to potentially be had if they were pursued. Papyrus's mind wandered to lewd places, but only for a second. However, it was enough to increase the guilt and sickness he felt in regards to himself. He truly was an abomination – a freak. There he was, fighting to be the right way again when a little pleasure had him sinking right back into what he knew to be wrong. The pleasure hadn't even been _that_ prominent, but Papyrus's mind still tugged in direction to the mental images of him fucking Sans.

Even now, his body and soul desired to pin the smaller skeleton against the sofa and make him moan so loud the humans on the surface would hear him. _Disgusting._ He wanted to see his adorable expressions when wracked with intense bliss. _Sickening._ He wanted to feel good again while penetrating and thrusting into Sans. _Revolting._ He wanted to hear his brother cry out his name like a desperate prayer to the stars. _Repulsive._ Maybe if he fucked Sans good enough, he would forget how wrong their relationship was – even for just a moment.

 _Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting._ Papyrus told himself. _I'm a freak._

He needed out. He couldn't do this anymore. Maybe if Papyrus broke off the relationship, he could return to his normal self. There wasn't a point in continuing it anyways. It wasn't viable. They couldn't spend the rest of their lives secretly loving each other with the fear of the rest of the Underground finding out. They couldn't isolate themselves from the rest of the world for the sake of their perverted relationship. They couldn't stay in this relationship. It was wrong and it was impossible. There would only be ruin and loneliness waiting for them at the end of the road – not happiness. It was impossible. _This_ was impossible.

Sans sighed and glanced up, flashing Papyrus a smile. The latter returned it forcefully but unconvincingly. It had the smaller skeleton frowning and shifting his position again to better look at Papyrus. "hey, what's up?" Sans asked softly, "you seem bothered by something."

Papyrus hesitated. He was disgusted with himself and he realised how impossible their relationship was in the long run. Nevertheless, he was afraid for Sans. Surely he had gone through enough healing to be able to handle his concerns and breaking up…but what if he wasn't? What if he regressed? And yet, Papyrus had to allow himself this one moment of selfishness. "This relationship…" he started uncertainly, " _Us_ …what we've got going on, it's not feasible…is it?"

Sans stiffened. "…why would you say that?"

Papyrus clenched his teeth together and sucked in a sharp breath. "We're brothers, Sans. We always will be, no matter how much we don't want to be." He stated bluntly. Maybe a little _too_ bluntly.

"i…i don't understand…" Sans uttered. He looked so heart broken. It hurt Papyrus to see him this way.

"We can't…our relationship is socially unacceptable. We can't hide it forever. Sooner or later we're going to slip up and what then?" Papyrus looked up and rubbed his skull in exasperation as the various potential scenarios rolled through his mind. "We'll be shunned. We'll be beaten. I can't risk that happening to you – not when you've got so little hp." He sighed deeply and regarded his brother seriously, "I can't live without you and I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt."

"stop." Sans demanded. Papyrus stared at him with great surprise. The smaller skeleton stretched out his hands and cradled his brother's face, forcing him to maintain his gaze. "stop worrying about what others want and expect from you. think, for just a second, about what _you_ want. i love you. i love you so much it scares me. i want to be with you and i'm not going to let anyone in the underground stop me just because they've got a problem with the way i feel. i understand that our relationship is uncommon and controversial, but i don't care. you're the only thing that matters and ever will matter to me. i love you and you make me happy." Sans then paused and slowly pulled away. Papyrus was too stunned to break eye contact. He hadn't expected such an outburst of commitment. "but…" he continued, "if it makes you uncomfortable or scared, i'll let you go. we can stop this. i'll be okay. i just want you to be happy."

"But…we can't just live isolated. We can't cast everyone we know aside and live in our little bubble. That's no way to live. We'd just become miserable." Papyrus said. He couldn't understand how Sans was so committed he was ready to forsake the Underground; their home.

Sans smiled softly and leaned in for a gentle kiss. Their mouths clanked together and remained pressed for a long beat, stealing Papyrus's breath away. "i can't see the future, pap." Sans admitted, "i don't know whether you'll be right or wrong. i don't think much about what _could_ happen. i prefer to live in the now. and right now i know that i'm happy like this with you. but it seems you don't feel the same way, and that's okay."

"T-that's not true…" Papyrus objected weakly. He was so confused by his emotions. It was all so hard to sort in his head.

"then tell me…" Sans cooed gently as he stroked his cheek comfortingly, "how do you feel in this very moment?"

Papyrus stared at him, overwhelmed by the comfort he was being shown and the response he ought to give. He was torn between saying something to reassure and please Sans and simply being honest and truthful. He hated how unsure and troubled he was. It was hard admitting to himself that he just didn't know what to do because he didn't want to disappoint his brother. However, in this moment, it seemed like he could truly open himself up and he would be foolish not to seize such a rare opportunity. Papyrus buried his face in Sans's neck and pulled him into a hug as he confessed how he truly felt in the given moment.

"I'm scared." The taller skeleton declared, tightening his embrace on Sans. "I'm scared of how terrible things can easily become if the Underground were to find out about us."

"pap…" Sans sighed and stroked his back comfortingly, "why does that scare you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Papyrus returned and pulled away to look Sans in the eyes, "I love you too." He then kissed him.

This kiss was starkly different than the one before engaged by Sans. It wasn't soft nor tender – or rather, it might have been at the start, but it quickly evolved into something more; something desperate. Their mouths opened, ecto tongues were pushed together which turned the embrace into a sloppy act of intimacy. Their hands began to wander the other's body, toying in the areas they knew would garner a reaction. Something had taken over them, something primal that didn't quite make sense but that Papyrus, and Sans it seemed, didn't need nor want to make sense of. They simply opted to let it happen and see where it would take them.

Between breaks for air and moans, Sans managed to slip off his hoody and remove his shirt. Their mouths were pressed together hard when they began tugging at Papyrus's clothes. The smaller skeleton easily pulled off the orange scarf, casting it to the heap of discarded clothes. Papyrus then reached back to undo the strings of his battle body, assisted by Sans who had an easier time accessing them. Before long, Papyrus's battle body joined the heap.

Their kiss officially broke when the two pulled apart to remove their final bits of clothing. Papyrus took off his black undershirt while Sans lifted himself and easily slipped off his shorts before finding a seat on his brother's lap. His erection sprung free between the two of them. The taller skeleton hadn't even noticed the other's sexual magic spike up enough to form an ecto cock. In fact, he could hardly feel his own pooling towards his pelvis and somehow he still knew all he needed was a small push before he reached Sans's level. He wondered if he had just grown accustomed to the magic's heat.

"Oh shoot…" Papyrus mumbled, his voice ragged from lust and desire. He moved his hands down to begin removing his pants, "I forgot my pants…"

"no…" Sans objected and removed his brother's hands. His face was flushed blue and scrunched in an embarrassed grimace, "we just need your cock out…"

And those dirty little words were all it took for Papyrus to sprout his own ecto dick. Sans delighted in freeing it from its confines and Papyrus also found himself relieved despite the short amount of time it spent concealed. The smaller skeleton then pushed him further against the sofa as he adjusted himself to be able to sink onto Papyrus's cock. The latter blushed as he watched the former with great anticipation, subconsciously holding his breath. Sans wasted no time; he aligned it with his hole and guided it in as he sat back. A lecherous moaned left him causing Papyrus to groan as well.

Sans rested both of his hands on Papyrus's shoulders and gripped tightly as he slowly lifted his hips and then sank back down. The two moaned at the pleasure elicited from the action. Papyrus gripped the sofa cushions tightly and watched Sans through half-lidded eyes as he rode him. His cock reached deeper in their current position than it did when the smaller skeleton was laying on his back while being plowed into. Papyrus felt this was also more intimate. They both had the power to move around and take control and kiss. But instead, they chose to maintain eye contact as Sans repeatedly sunk back down on Papyrus's cock.

"Is this…is this wrong?" Papyrus asked between groans.

"i— _ahnn_! i don't know pap…" Sans moaned. He began moving a little faster. "depends on…mmm!…depends on who you ask…"

Papyrus supposed he would never get an answer he was satisfied with. For now, he decided to focus on what was currently happening rather than the future – a first for him. Sans, he supposed, just elicited that sort of behaviour from him; not that he was complaining at all. The taller skeleton gripped Sans by the hips and guided but also encouraged his movements to be rougher and faster. He pulled delicious sounds from his brother who threw his head back and desperately clutched at him as his body was wracked with bliss. It was just like he wanted.

"nngh! papy!" Sans cried out.

 _God_ – he absolutely loved hearing Sans voice his pleasure. Papyrus had never been one to enjoy music or sounds to an expert's degree, but the noises the smaller skeleton made during sex could very much become his religion. Never had he ever been so addicted to hearing something, anything; let alone the debauchery Sans was so shamelessly voicing. His whimpers and moans muffled the sound the TV had been making. Both were hardly aware that it was still on while they fucked with a sort of desperation.

With every thrust, a blissful heat spread from their pelvises and stretched to engulf the rest of their bodies. It drove them mad. They craved a blunter intensity. Papyrus almost wanted every last bit of his sanity stripped away. In a way, it would make accepting his relationship with Sans much easier on him. He wouldn't need to worry about whether it was fundamentally right or wrong if he was truly insane. As such, he began thrusting up to meet Sans as he sank back down. The moan he was rewarded with the first time was priceless – a choked whimper meshed with a heavenly cry of ecstasy.

"n-no!" Sans stammered. He struggled to form complete words let alone sentences with all the moans pouring out of his mouth; "don't…don't thrust like that! y-you're going…to make me—"

But he couldn't complete his sentence before he threw his head back once more as he cried out and came hard. Papyrus flinched as the smaller skeleton tightened around him drastically, effectively milking him of his own cum. With a final sharp thrust, he spilled his load in Sans who consequently collapsed on him. They remained in a tangled mess of limbs, breathing heavily and riding off the waves of ecstasy. Papyrus felt so good. The pleasure he experienced was so great. But it didn't make it right.

"so…where does this leave us?" Sans asked, lazily meeting Papyrus's gaze. "is there still an us?"

Papyrus pressed his fingers gently beneath Sans's chin and guided his head further up to kiss him. "Yes." He answered. The apprehensions he had previously had still generally remained, but they weren't as prominent as they had once been. As for his fears, Papyrus was certain they would remain with him for as long as they were romantically involved. He would just have to find a way to live with it. "I love you, Sans."


	20. Chapter 20

"ahhn…"

From the moment Papyrus accepted to pretend to love Sans, he never even thought to imagine that he could one day start reciprocating the sentiment genuinely. He had thought he would instead spend the rest of his days trapped in an arrangement that made him both uncomfortable and miserable for the sake of Sans's happiness. How funny it was that all of that had changed so drastically. Though their relationship was still cause for discomfort, Papyrus found he was steadily getting used to it. Each day was easier to bear than the last and the fears and apprehensions he still held steadily faded as well. He doubted they would every truly leave, but their lack in prominence was better than nothing.

"o-oh god—haa! yes…!"

Some time had passed since confessing his fears to Sans and the two had managed to fall into a nice domestic life. Practically all of Papyrus's time was spent with his brother whenever the latter wasn't working. If they weren't cuddling and having an easy chat, then they were fucking anywhere with a flat enough surface. Honestly, they spent most of their times doing the latter rather than the former. The taller skeleton also had a secret goal of screwing everywhere in the house, though he would never say so out loud. Despite his perverted desires, he still held himself to a standard and admitting something so lewd was unbecoming of himself.

"papy!" Sans whined, face pressed flush against their kitchen table, "y-you're going to make me cum again!"

Today, Papyrus got to check off the kitchen table from his vulgar mental list. They had gotten frisky with one another as soon as Sans returned home from work. A welcome home kiss had quickly turned into something more heated. Then, one thing lead to another and, the next thing Papyrus knew, he had Sans pinned against the kitchen table as he fucked into him hard. Neither had fully stripped themselves of their clothes either – in fact, Sans had only lowered his pants which hung around his knees.

"Do it…" Papyrus cooed gruffly.

He moved one of his hands from Sans's pelvis to start stroking his leaking ecto cock. He timed his pumps with his thrusts, driving the smaller skeleton insane with bliss. His cries of ecstasy increased tenfold to the point where, if they had neighbours, they would probably be able to hear him. Papyrus barely managed to tilt Sans enough to see his face when he finally came, dirtying both his clothes and the table. The sudden tightness quickly had him coming shortly after, adding to the mess.

Sans laid collapsed on the table, breathing heavily as he rode off the waves of the afterglow whereas Papyrus sprung up all the more energetic. He fixed his clothes and briefly dusted himself, a wide grin plastered on his face. Where he once found himself in a similar situation as Sans after their bouts of sex, the taller skeleton had quickly grown accustomed to them. After all, sex was just a different kind of workout and his body was used to it. He had thought Sans would also find it less exhausting at this point; though he supposed working crazy shifts at both of his jobs didn't necessarily equate to a form of exercise.

"Right, well," Papyrus resumed, clearing his throat, "welcome home, Sans."

"thanks pap…" he muttered tiredly. He was still sprawled over the kitchen table covered in cum and sweat. Papyrus forced himself to push his desires aside. They had already gone at it twice since his return and he wasn't sure if Sans could handle a third round.

"Regardless of how _unsanitary_ it is," Papyrus said, "I'll leave you to lie on the table while you catch your breath. Just make sure to clean the mess. I'll be making supper now and I would like a clean table by the time it's ready."

"wait…" Sans groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position, "that's what i wanted to talk to you about before we…uh, got _distracted._ " Papyrus nodded and stood akimbo, waiting for what his brother had to say, "when i was on my way back home, i saw that grillby's had a special couple's discount for tonight. it's been a while since we've last gone out, so i thought we could…"

"No." Papyrus refused sternly. He could hardly believe Sans actually made such an insane suggestion. "We can go to Grillby's some other time, but not tonight and especially not for that discount."

"why not?" Sans asked with an encouraging smile, "lots of people are still going to go to grillby's with their friends. they're just not going to ask for the couple's discount and no one's going to bat an eye in their direction. if we go, we'll just look like a pair of brothers going out for supper. nothing suspicious there."

"On a _couple's_ night?" Papyrus repeated with emphasis. He truly wasn't convinced that rumours wouldn't begin to surface if they went.

"yes." Sans insisted, "i promise no one will make a connection between the event and us. it'll be fun." Papyrus clenched his teeth together pensively. He was hesitant to agree and upon seeing that, the smaller skeleton added: "weren't you the one who said we couldn't just live in our own bubble?"

Papyrus frowned, "I hate it when you use what I say against me."

"doesn't everyone?" Sans shrugged with a laugh. "so are we going then?"

Papyrus sighed heavily. He still wasn't convinced, but Sans seemed eager. He always had a hard time refusing him when he got like that. "Okay…" he conceded reluctantly. "But you're absolutely certain no one's going to be suspicious?"

"a hundred per cent." Sans replied with a wink. "now i'll just go change clothes and we can get going—"

The smaller skeleton hopped off from the table and immediately crumbled to the ground what with his legs being unable to support him for some unknown yet alarming reason. Papyrus rushed to his side nervously hovering over him. "Sans! Oh my God! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Sans looked up at him with a bright blue blush covering his face. "i-i think you're going to have to carry me to my room…" he mumbled in embarrassment, "my legs are like…jelly…"

"What? Why?" Papyrus asked still confused and worried. Sans glanced away with a flustered grimace. It took the former an additional few seconds to slowly piece the answer for himself. "Oh…oh! Ooh! Uh…sorry, Sans. I'll be gentler next time."

Sans looped his arms around Papyrus's neck as he lifted him and carried him upstairs. "it's not that you were too rough…" he mumbled very quietly, almost like he didn't really want to be heard, "it's just that you were…good. really good."

Papyrus smiled but also tightened his grip on Sans. As much as he was pleased to hear what the other had said, it was also having another effect on him. "Sans, if you want to go to Grillby's for supper," he started, "please don't say things like that. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself."

Sans smirked and buried his face in Papyrus's chest.

The taller skeleton helped him into his room and hunted for some fresh or decently clean clothes amidst the sea of scattered shirts and pants littering the floor of his room. Sans waited on his mattress with an amused look on his face. By the time Papyrus managed to assemble an ensemble, Sans had regained a certain stability in his legs and didn't require any more assistance. The former consequently left his room and returned to the kitchen to clean the mess that still lingered on the table.

It didn't take long for either to finish. Papyrus was washing his hands when Sans began to descend the stairs. He struggled a bit, his legs visibly wobbly, but seemed to fair well enough what with the arm rails for support. His situation was a bit more challenging once he reached the bottom floor. Sans took one additional step and nearly fell again.

"Sans, are you sure this is a good idea?" Papyrus asked nervously. "You can barely walk…"

"i'm fine." He insisted and tried to prove his statement by taking a few more steps. He was able to support himself much better than before. "see?"

Papyrus frowned but couldn't find it in himself to refuse his brother when he was displaying such determination. He led the way out of the house, holding the door open for the smaller skeleton and watching him attentively. If Sans faltered one more time or outright fell, he would call it off and bring them home. Papyrus refused to admit to himself that a part of him wanted Sans to fail. Unfortunately, he was tenacious and the more they walked, the easier it seemed to get.

They arrived at Grillby's confronted with a surprisingly long line of monsters hovering around the entrance. Some of them carried papers in their hands on which the time a table should be free for them was scribbled. Roughly five more monsters were waiting at the entrance likely to receive an estimate as well. Papyrus reckoned they would be stuck waiting behind them, but Sans simply pranced to the front of the line. Surprisingly, none of the monsters seemed to mind and instead greeted the smaller skeleton as he passed by. He stopped by the front podium where a green flame monster in a school uniform stopped serving the next person in line to address Sans.

"Well if it isn't my dad's favourite customer." She said not sounding the least bit upset Sans had cut the line. It would seem that Papyrus was the only one who found that incredibly rude. "And his brother?"

"yep." Sans confirmed, "got any room for us?"

Just as the question was posed, three monsters left the building at the same time.

"A table just freed itself. It'll only take my dad a few seconds to clean it up." She assured with a smile and light cock of the head.

Papyrus hesitantly moved closer to Sans. He felt terrible about how everyone was just going to accept they bumped the line without complaint. "Um, Sans?" He asked, earning his brother's attention as well as the flame monster's, "Who is this?"

"Oh, right! I should have introduced myself!" She giggled and extended her hand to shake Papyrus's, "I'm Fuku; Grillby's daughter."

"Hello, I'm Papyrus." He returned and shook her hand.

"Sans talks about you a lot, you know." Fuku said with a devilish twinkle in her eyes. She side glanced at Sans, likely expecting him to have a reaction of the sort but was dismayed to find nothing. "What?" She asked him, "You're not going to try to stop me from telling him what you tell us?"

"nope." Sans smirked, "i already tell him what i tell you."

"Like even how you think he's the coolest brother in the world?" Fuku asked and she bellowed loudly when she saw Sans blush.

Clearly, the smaller skeleton had been bluffing but to no avail. Papyrus also felt his cheeks heat up. He looked down at Sans with wide eyes, touched by the sentiment he apparently shared with others but never with him until now. "Really…?"

"i-i mean…yeah…" Sans mumbled shyly, kicking the snow. "you're really cool, pap."

"This is the cutest thing I've ever witnessed." Fuku giggled excitedly.

"yeah, yeah." Sans rolled his eyes, "so is our table ready?"

"By now, probably." Fuku guessed, "Dad's been running around like a manic. This place is full to the brim and he's basically taking care of everything himself, so try not to distract him too much."

"got it." Sans said and was about to walk in the establishment when his eyes caught something. Papyrus followed his gaze and noticed that a couple of monsters who had been waiting when they arrived had pink bracelets around their wrists. "what are those?"

"The bracelets?" Fuku asked, "We give them to monster couples who are eligible for the discount."

Papyrus watched in horror as the gears in Sans's head began to spin. He knew what he was going to say and had to stop him. But before he could even open his mouth, the smaller skeleton spoke.

"then we ought to get one." Sans declared.

Fuku grimaced at him. "You're brothers."

"yeah, but we're a couple." Sans pointed out and papyrus wanted to die. "by definition, of course."

Fuku frowned at him for an extended period of time until she realised what he was getting at. "The discount is for _romantic_ couples." She specified.

"that's not what it says here." Sans pointed to the chalk board advertising the special deal. Papyrus couldn't believe he was actually arguing something so stupid. "it just says a 'couple'. as is, pap and i are two and thus we form 'a couple'."

"Sans!" Fuku groaned, annoyed.

"Oh my god, Sans…" Papyrus moaned in exasperation, slapping his hand over his face.

"You know, he's got a point." A monster mumbled to another in the line behind them.

The murmurs of agreement rose and Fuku found herself with no choice but to give them bracelets before hurriedly searing the word "romantic" in the chalk board for anyone else ready to argue the qualifications of the special.

"You're exasperating." She hissed at the smaller skeleton and turned to Papyrus as she handed him the bracelets, "I don't know how you deal with him."

"I honestly don't know either." Papyrus sighed. "Thank you for the bracelets."

"see ya." Sans grinned and waved at the flame monster as he finally walked in the restaurant.

Grillby's was much more crowded than Papyrus imagined it would be. Additional tables seemed to have been pulled out and squeezed in to accommodate the many patrons that had gathered around for food. Laughter and the intelligible noise of multiple discussions happening all at once were deafening. Through the hustle and bustle, only glimpses of Grillby himself could be spotted as he was running from one table to another with their designated ordered beverages and meals. Papyrus couldn't understand why he didn't just hire additional help.

"over here." Sans said, tugging at his hand to grab his attention.

The smaller skeleton pointed over to a booth by the front windows. It could easily seat six people and so Papyrus felt bad that it was the place allocated to them when they were only two. There were groups of monsters still waiting outside that could have taken the spot but, instead it had been given to them. And yet, there was no point in complaining about it. Sans felt no remorse, none of the monsters seemed bothered, and Fuku was likely just as indifferent. He followed his brother to the free table and sat across from him so as to create the illusion of taking more space. It somehow made him feel less guilty.

"Why did you get us the bracelets?" Papyrus sighed, handing one over to Sans.

"I wanted one." Sans responded with a shrug and slipped it around his wrist. "Grillby was probably going to give me the half off anyways because we're friends but this…" he toyed at the pink plastic, "this lets us pretend we got the discount for a different reason."

Papyrus blushed and looked down into his hands at the bracelet he still held. He regarded it in a different light now. It made him smile and his soul heart skipped a beat. He slipped it onto his wrist, content to see it there. He was still nervous about other monsters spotting it, but Sans seemed to have the situation handled. He would simply follow his lead and trust in him for now.

"So what are you going to eat?" Papyrus asked, glancing up. Curiously, Sans was stretching his neck to look above the heads of the many monsters swarming the establishment.

"uh…" he paused, relaxing back into his seat, though his eyes were still wandering about. "i don't know, i was thinking something fast to give Grillby an easier time."

"That's thoughtful." Papyrus conceded. Perhaps he wouldn't order spaghetti for the same reason. "Do you—" The taller skeleton stopped when he noticed Sans push himself up from his seat to look around again. "What are you doing?"

"hun?" Sans asked.

Papyrus glanced around them as well, trying to see if he could find whatever it was Sans was looking for. "You look like you're looking for something." He said.

"yeah, grillby." Sans answered. "we don't have menus."

Though what he said was true, Papyrus didn't exactly believe him. It seemed like something more was going on in Sans's head. However, he decided to accept the answer and simply wait. He had a feeling he would find out whatever was going on with his brother sooner or later. Besides, it wasn't like it could be anything bad.

"anyways," Sans said, "you were saying something."

"What? No I wasn't." Papyrus replied.

"not now, but before." Sans specified, "you were going to ask me something."

It took a few seconds for Papyrus to remember. "Oh right," he resumed, "Do you think spaghetti takes too long to make?"

"no, i don't think so." Sans replied. Though he was listening, his wandering eyes seemed to suggest otherwise. It was a little frustrating and annoying to witness.

A pause fell over them as the smaller skeleton's attention truly shifted to something else. Papyrus watched him carefully. The more he did, the more he was certain he really wasn't looking for Grillby. His actions were also contradicting his aforementioned wish of giving his friend an easier time by ordering something simple. If he wanted to help, he wouldn't be searching for him with the intent of diverting his attention demandingly. Papyrus was just about to call him out on it when Sans's features brightened as he caught sight of something.

"Sans…?" Papyrus asked as he turned to see what it was his brother saw. He froze as he came face to face with Undyne.

She looked just as startled as he did, but then broke eye contact to glare accusingly at both Sans and Alphys. Papyrus had nearly missed the yellow monster; only noticing her looming just a little behind Undyne because the Royal Guard had turned her gaze to her. He looked at Sans who smiled and shrugged at him. In that moment, he understood he had been set up.

"this fight's got to end some time, pap."

 _I want to throttle Sans._ Papyrus thought to himself. This was the worst possible outcome he could imagine.


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm leaving in a couple of hours to catch a plane. I'll be on vacation for nine days, therefore this story will go on hiatus until I return.**

 **ENJOY**

* * *

When Sans suggested they go out to eat, Papyrus expected just that: a nice meal. Based off how his brother described seeing Grillby's, he anticipated it to be noisy and crowded but pleasant all the same. At the start of it, their dining experience was gearing up to be just as expected if a bit sweeter with the addition of the bracelets. However, sweetness had now been swapped for bitterness. Undyne stood before them with Alphys just a step behind her. Fear swelled as worrying thoughts rushed through Papyrus's head. Sans had set him up and, if Alphys's nervous demeanour was anything to go by, she likely conspired with him. Despite having had the best of intentions, they couldn't begin to imagine how dangerous their decision had been. Papyrus was mostly puzzled and frustrated with Sans because he knew why he had cut ties with Undyne to begin with. What sort of insanity could have pushed him to be so stupid?

Papyrus now stood in a more isolated corner of Grillby's pub with Undyne. They were in the area next to the bar, separated by the door leading to the kitchen. Every now and again Grillby would rush past them with trays stacked with a ludicrous amount of dishes. The two had been told not to come back to the table until they were friends again. As it was, they had been standing in place awkwardly for a handful of minutes. Undyne leaned against the side of the bar counter, looking everywhere except at Papyrus whereas the latter hugged himself and fixated his gaze on the ground.

He absolutely had no idea what to say to her – and she he, it seemed. Seeing her again in the flesh brought about a flurry of inconsistent emotions. The truth of everything was that Papyrus had missed her dearly. He loved spending time with Sans, but sometimes he needed the company of someone he wasn't related to. He hadn't been able to access that get away ever since he had cut ties with her. Now, more than anything, a part of Papyrus wanted to hug her, maybe cry a little, and forget the fight that had torn them apart. However, the conflicting other part of him felt the need to firmly assert that Undyne would never know about who he was dating and refuse to move forward until she accepted that. Needless to say, this didn't help in finding a conversation starter.

Grillby rushed past them again, nearly dropping an empty plate he caught in the nick of time. Both of their gazes shifted to the flame monster for the time he was in front of them before meeting each other's. The contact was quickly broken, but Papyrus had had enough. The silence was killing him and he had to say something – anything. He decided thinking about his words wasn't helping so he opted to simply act on a whim. Filled with determination, he focused his eyes on Undyne, surprised to find she had done the same, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I—" they said simultaneously.

Then there was a pause.

"No, you can just—"

"No, no, you were going first—"

"Well, I wasn't really—"

"I didn't have anything to say so—"

And then they stopped talking again. Papyrus sighed deeply and frowned at the floor. This wasn't going well and it wasn't going anywhere either.

"Look…" Undyne started, combing her fingers through her long, red hair. Papyrus looked up in attention, happy that she had finally taken the initiative despite their recent blabber fest. "I'm not really good at this…emotional confrontation stuff. It's not really me." Papyrus smiled at that. It was true. "I just…I'm sorry, okay? I messed up. I should have respected that you just didn't want to talk about your relationship and left it at that."

"I'm sorry too." Papyrus mumbled.

"Sorry? For what?" Undyne scoffed incredulously.

"I was mean with you…" Papyrus recognised, "I could have handled the situation so many other ways – _better_ ways, but I didn't…"

"You weren't mean, _I_ was mean!" Undyne defended, "I pretty much threatened you when you were leaving. What kind of friend does that even when they're angry?" She paused, upset with herself, "man…I was a real piece of shit with you…"

"Don't say that!" Papyrus exclaimed, quickly jumping to her defense, "How could you have not been angry? I refused to elaborate on everything and – and rather than come to some sort of understanding, I just ran away from the problem."

"What other choice did you have?" Undyne countered, "I was being unreasonable. What was the point in talking with me when I just didn't want to accept what you were telling me? And if you want to talk about running away; I wanted to come apologise to you sooner but I was too proud to even set foot in Snowdin."

"Well, I went into Waterfall a bunch of times and always went out of my way to stay as far from your house as possible because I felt so bad." Papyrus refuted, "And I would get a little sad every time, but I never went to your door to fix this even though I could have."

"Same here!" Undyne affirmed. "As stupid as it is, nothing but my pride was stopping me."

Papyrus tried to think of a rhetoric, but found himself out of arguments. In the subsequent silence that washed over them, the skeleton realised how fortunate they were that they had been tricked into meeting again and forced to reconcile. "I guess we owe Alphys and Sans a thanks, hun?" he reckoned.

Undyne glanced at their table. From where they stood, they could catch glimpses of the smaller monsters chatting easily between themselves. Despite not knowing Sans – at least, as far as Papyrus was concerned – Alphys seemed very comfortable; like she was speaking with an old friend. Sans had that effect on people.

"Yeah." Undyne huffed and looked back at Papyrus, "I really am sorry." She resumed genuinely. "I understand and am ready to accept that you won't share everything with me, especially in regards to your romantic life. I still think it sucks that I won't ever get to know who you're dating, but…if Sans knows and he's okay with it, I guess they've got to be decent, right?"

"Thank you." Papyrus smiled.

"And…" the Royal Guard added, "If you still want to talk about them and want some advice…I'm here for you. I don't mind even if I don't know who they are."

"So long as you respect my boundaries." Papyrus conditioned.

"I will. I promise." Undyne swore. "So…are we friends again?"

"Yes." Papyrus answered and he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He opened his arms to bring Undyne into a hug and, though she wasn't much for affection like that, she accepted the gesture. They each took a step forward to embrace when Grillby ran past them again, ruining their little moment. However, they quickly exploded into fits of laughter before actually hugging. It felt good to finally move on. Never had Papyrus expected he could secretly date Sans and remain friends with Undyne. Now he had a new fighting chance to achieve his goal of joining the Royal Guard. Things were looking up and he was excited to see what the future now held.

The two returned to the table, already chatting about what the other had missed in their own respective lives while they were apart. Papyrus didn't have much to share as he didn't do much and what he actually did, he couldn't share. Undyne on the other hand, went off on the reforms that had taken place with the Royal Guard and news from New Home. They hadn't gotten in too much of a deep discussion when they returned to their table, greeted with the curious looks of Sans and Alphys.

"so?" Sans questioned.

"A-are you friends a-again?" Alphys elaborated.

Papyrus and Undyne exchanged glances and smiled. "You bet." Undyne grinned.

"Good!" Alphys exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"now take a seat," Sans beckoned, scooting over. Papyrus sat next to him while Undyne took the spot across, "grillby still hasn't—"

"I'm finally here." Grillby declared with composure despite being in the exact opposite state. His clothes were a mess from constantly running around and his glasses were crooked though he quickly fixed them.

"speak of the devil." Sans smirked.

"What would you like to order?" The flame monster asked.

"menus." Sans chuckled.

Grillby froze as though he were having a mental breakdown. Sans seemed to find great amusement in his friend's struggle. Papyrus now doubted his brother ever had the intention of being helpful in some way, shape, or form to the other.

"Or…" Papyrus intervened, "You could just bring us hamburgers and fries?" he looked at Alphys and Undyne for approval; "Is that alright?"

"Yeah, sure." Undyne shrugged, throwing her arm behind the backrest of her booth seat.

"That sounds g-good." Alphys nodded in agreement.

Grillby quietly turned to face Papyrus. There was no discernible emotion on his face which was mildly unsettling. "You're my favourite skeleton." He declared before running off. Sans broke into laughter, holding his stomach.

"You're so mean." Papyrus half-heartedly chastised.

"just wait until he comes back," Sans grinned deviously, "i'm going to remind him he forgot to ask us for drinks."

"Isn't he supposed to be friends with Grillby?" Undyne asked with a confused grimace.

"Yes." Papyrus confirmed with a sigh. He propped up his arm on the table, leaning his head into his hand. Sans was so silly.

"Hey, Pap." Undyne said, drawing his attention. She was leaning forward and fixating his wrist. Papyrus froze when he realised what she was staring at. "How did you get one of those bracelets?"

"Yeah, Sans has o-one too." Alphys noted.

Papyrus effectively began panicking. He had forgotten about the bracelets and didn't know how to answer the question unsuspiciously. The longer he took, the more time Undyne had to come to the conclusion herself and it wouldn't take much to guess the simple answer. After all that effort and brief period of reconciliation over his romantic life; it was all going to go to waste over a stupid bracelet—

"we're in love." Sans answered flatly, much to Papyrus's mortification. Why would Sans just admit to the truth? Sometimes he just couldn't understand his brother's thought process. "as two grown individuals very much in love, we were entitled to the bracelets and the discount."

"S-Sans!" Papyrus schooled in a panic.

Undyne and Alphys started laughing immediately. They thought it was funny. They thought it was a joke. It took a moment for Papyrus to understand they didn't believe Sans and to consequently relax. He wished his brother would give him some sort of warning before saying things that would scare him half to death. He sat back and tried to calm his breathing without being too obvious about it. Sans brushed their hands together beneath the table in what Papyrus assumed was meant to be a comforting gesture.

"So what r-really happened?" Alphys asked as she calmed her laughter.

"i argued that the definition of couple applied to me and pap." Sans shrugged.

"That's why the w-word 'romantic' was seared into t-the chalkboard…" Alphys concluded in realisation.

"Anyways," Papyrus said, eager to change the topic, "Let's catch up. What have you been up to, Undyne?"

"Oh well, what I'd already told you about the Royal Guard and New Home summed it up." She replied, "I've been slacking off on training, though now that my partner's back maybe I can get back into the groove…?"

"Of course." Papyrus agreed.

"Great!" Undyne exclaimed excitedly.

"I s-suppose that'll mean you'll be spending less time w-with your b-beau, hun?" Alphys mumbled without second thought. The second thought in question came after she had spoken. The yellow monster froze and suddenly seemed very nervous. "I-I'm sorry! I w-wasn't thinking! I didn't m-mean—"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Papyrus assured and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "My…significant other works a lot so it's not like I was seeing them more before or anything."

Sans snickered quietly to himself. Papyrus flashed him a brief glare. His brother was clearly enjoying the secrecy in this instance a bit too much. He frankly should have been far more on edge. Alphys seemed to have accepted to answer without second thought, but Papyrus caught Undyne staring at Sans with a bizarre look in her eyes. He couldn't quite place what it was and it unsettled him. He nervously replayed everything that was said and tried to convince himself she couldn't piece anything together from that until her attention seemed to waver to something else.

"What do you think about them, Sans?" Undyne asked, looking at Papyrus for approval. It was an innocent enough question so long as the smaller skeleton didn't treat it too much like a joke.

"eh, they're alright i guess." He shrugged, much to Papyrus's relief. "papyrus could do better though."

Papyrus frowned at Sans, "Don't say that." he chastised, blushing a bit, "They're perfect the way they are. If a bit _lazy_."

"i think they're much more energetic now than they were at the start of the relationship." Sans reckoned and winked, "don't have much of a choice if they want to keep up with you."

Papyrus rolled his eyes and coughed nervously. "Let's just change the subject." He suggested. They had spent far too much time on a topic he still wasn't comfortable discussing around Undyne. Not to mention that suspicious look in her eyes unwaveringly remained.

"Sure." Undyne agreed.

Papyrus started by asking Alphys what she had been up to in her lab. Sans encouraged her to go into more detail by entertaining her with scientific questions. Initially, the taller skeleton thought he was just trying to help him, but it later seemed that he was genuinely interested. Papyrus couldn't see why because he hardly understood what Alphys was talking about, that being said, Sans had a knack for science so he brushed it off. From there, the topics of conversation drifted leisurely. One minute they were talking about science, the next they were arguing about the cliff hanger of Mettaton's soap opera over their burgers and fries.

They laughed and enjoyed themselves, but Papyrus was on edge regardless of the ensuing pleasantries. Too often something would come up in regards to he and Sans that seem to bother Undyne. Whenever a personal question about them was asked and subsequently answered, she always seemed to pay attention to it in a particularly unnerving way. It was as though she doubted…something. Papyrus couldn't quite explain what and that was precisely what made him so uncomfortable and keen to talk about other things.

Fortunately, Papyrus finally got to catch a breather when both Undyne and Alphys left for the washroom. He didn't know what it was about women and needing to have a partner in crime for the toilets, but he was thankful for it. He sighed in relief, slinking into his booth much to Sans's amusement. The latter shifted towards him, leaning against the table to catch a better look of his face.

"stressed, pap?" Sans asked with a smug little smile.

"Be careful with what you say." Papyrus whispered, "I'm afraid she's catching on."

"i thought you two established she was going to lay off your romantic life." Sans said.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean she isn't allowed to piece things together on her own." Papyrus countered, "All she agreed to do was to not pressure me into answering her questions. Please…please just be careful."

Sans seemed to pick up on his discomfort, which was very fortunate. He pressed his hand over Papyrus's and leaned his head against his shoulder. The gesture was sweet and he hoped it seemed platonic and brotherly to the surrounding patrons that may or may not have caught a glimpse of them. "alright." He agreed, "sorry for having worried you. i'm sure it's fine, though. you tend to worry a lot."

"I hope it's just me." Papyrus conceded, closing his hand around Sans's. "The idea of maintaining this friendship and this secret just stresses me. Undyne's smart; she wasn't appointed head of the Royal Guard only because of her brute strength."

"heh, could have fooled me." Sans huffed beneath his breath.

"Sans!" Papyrus reprimanded. He seemed to have been doing a lot of that tonight.

"i'm joking." Sans assured, snuggling into his arm. He was getting tired, that much was obvious. "the best way to deal with something like this is to hide in plain sight," he explained, "you take the perception those around you have of you, and you exploit it. that way, you can tell the truth and people will just think it was a joke or something even if it wasn't. you've just got to keep acting like yourself for it to work."

"That's what you've been doing?" Papyrus concluded.

"yep. it's been working great." Sans confirmed with a yawn. "even if it's been giving you heart attacks."

"You noticed…?" Papyrus asked. He felt mildly embarrassed.

"you're very expressive pap." Sans informed and Papyrus noticed how his eyes were drooping shut.

"You're not really falling asleep, are you?" He grimaced. "It's not even that late."

Sans blushed a bit and frowned, "do i have to remind you what we did twice before getting here?" He whispered.

Papyrus felt himself flush as well. "Oh." He mumbled, "Then maybe we should call it quits soon."

"sounds good to me." Sans yawned again.

"W-what sounds good?" Alphys asked, startling Papyrus. Sans, on the other hand, lazily looked in her direction. Undyne was just next to her with that same unnerving look on her face. What was she thinking?

"A-ah, you're back." Papyrus concluded. He nervously wondered how long they had been around but, judging by her question, they had likely just returned. They took their seats across from them. "Sans is getting tired so we might go back home soon."

"But it's still early." Undyne remarked.

"Sans works a lot." Papyrus supplied, and he thought it was a decent lie. There was truth to it despite it not being the primary reason the smaller skeleton was so tired. So why did Undyne look so shocked by the answer? The expression only left her face when she shook her head as though to chase a thought away.

"that's the first time i've seen someone so incredulous to learn that i now make an effort." Sans snorted, but his tone was tense. He had noticed Undyne's expression and something about it had also alerted him. Something was wrong.

"It's unbelievable." Undyne replied, teeth gritted together.

"i've got an employee of the month plate at the hot dog and hot cat shack to prove it." Sans stated. It was clear he was trying to defuse the situation with light hearted jokes, but Papyrus knew it wouldn't work. When Undyne was on to something, she was unwavering.

 _It can't be about me and Sans…can it?_ Papyrus anxiously thought, _We didn't say anything to tip her off…_

"Really?" Alphys asked, unaware to the tension falling over their small group, "Why didn't you p-post a picture on Undernet?"

"I don't have any social medias." Sans admitted, "It's more my brother's department."

Papyrus watched as his brother opted to engage in conversation with Alphys rather than deal with Undyne. Knowing him, he was probably just hoping the problem would go away if he ignored it. However, Sans didn't know Undyne the way he did. The Royal Guard didn't just give up on whatever was bothering her. She pursued it until she got to a satisfying conclusion. If she really was suspicious of them even though Papyrus was reasonably certain they hadn't given anything away, she would keep thinking about it. The look on her face suggested she was deep into thought and the taller skeleton wasn't about to let her stumble upon the answer without trying anything.

"Undyne." He stated firmly, rising from his seat, "May I speak with you? _Privately_."

Undyne held his gaze for a moment, expression deadpan. "Sure." She conceded after a while.

Papyrus peeked at Sans briefly only to find him giving him a tense look. The latter didn't think what he was about to do was a good idea, but he had no other choice. He had to stop Undyne and if she wasn't going to be dissuaded by polite pleasantries, then Papyrus was going to call her out on her behaviour. Maybe if he was angry enough with her and the way she had been acting, she would stop. At least, that was what he was hoping for. In the event the opposite occur, the skeleton elected to bring Undyne outside and to the side of the pub. If they were to yell at each other, no one would hear them clearly there. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

The skeleton took in a shaky breath before turning to confront Undyne. He wasn't sure how he was going to word himself, he just knew whatever he was going to say needed to be convincing. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to say anything as Undyne spoke first.

"I think I'm imagining something crazy…" She started slowly. For the first time since Papyrus had befriended her, Undyne seemed legitimately uncomfortable in his presence. "I can't just shut my brain off, you know? I can't not try to piece together the identity of who it is you're dating, especially when I think some hints are being brandished in my face…"

"Wh…what are you going on about?" Papyrus asked lowly. He was afraid and he didn't know what to do, but he was too scared to feel frustrated about that last part.

"It's someone that has stayed over at your house multiple times." Undyne began listing, "It's someone Sans approves of. They're lazy – or rather, they used to be. And they work a lot."

"Undyne—"

"It's just my imagination, isn't it?" Undyne asked, almost begging for Papyrus to confirm she was being absurd, "I know you've got a _very_ small social group, but there's got to be one other person that I don't know about…right?"

Papyrus didn't know what to say. His mind was rushing to come up with solutions but couldn't find any. He anxiously reached for the pink bracelet around his wrist to with in order to calm down. But to no avail. "You…you said you'd let it go…" He said but couldn't even muster to sound the least bit angry. He was defeated and overcome by fear.

Undyne stared at him for a long time. Perhaps it was the lack of denial that made her realise that the assumption she desperately wished was wrong was actually right. And in that moment, Papyrus witnessed the last thing he had ever wanted to see in her; Undyne's features contorted with disgust and repulsion. She stepped back like he was an abomination. She had figured it out. Despite having shared so little, what information she had gathered had been enough to piece everything together.

"You can't be…" She muttered, "Not with _him_ …"

"Undyne, please—" Papyrus tried.

Everything had gone so horribly wrong. They had barely been reconciled for a few hours that something new was tearing them apart again.

"He's your brother!" Undyne snapped, "Tell me I'm making this shit up!" She demanded, gripping him by the shoulders and shaking him, "Tell me I'm reading everything wrong! I-I know you said it was controversial, that I wouldn't understand, but it can't be _this_! It's too…it's too…"

Papyrus wanted to cry. He was frustrated and scared. He felt like his world was tumbling apart. What would Undyne do now that she knew the truth? Would she hurt Sans? Would she hurt him? Would she tell the Underground?

"You can't be…" Undyne insisted and released him. She started pacing frantically until a thought hit her, "He's forcing you, isn't he? You don't want this—how could you? I always knew there was something sickly wrong with him—"

"Undyne, stop it!" Papyrus yelled, clenching his hands into fists. He never wanted this. He never wanted any of this. "It's…it's not like that! Just let me explain—"

"Explain!?" She exploded, "You mean there's actually reason to this madness?"

"Yes!" Papyrus cried, tears finally spilling down his face. "I was doing it for him! He needed me! He needed _this_!"

Undyne furrowed her brow in confusion. "So…you don't actually love him like that…?" She asked.

"No! I don't!" Papyrus shouted. He sobbed a little as he tried to calm down. Explaining the truth and the situation in itself was difficult. He didn't know where to start. "I mean—"

"you…what?"

Papyrus's heart stopped. He turned around to behold, with great horror, Sans. The taller skeleton could only imagine the portion of the conversation his brother had walked in on and it filled him with both panic and desperation. Sans stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes, his mouth left agape. He looked absolutely heartbroken likely because he had only heard the last thing Papyrus had said.

"No…" Papyrus muttered, absolutely discouraged, "No, no, no! Sans—"

"this was all…just pretend…?" Sans asked, his voice cracking beneath the grief that was steadily crushing him.

"Sans—" but in the blink of an eye, the smaller skeleton had disappeared. It was almost as though he had never been there, but his foot prints left in the snow attested otherwise. "Sans!"

He had to go find him. He had to explain what he had been about to say when he was interrupted. He had to find Sans. He absolutely had to find Sans. Papyrus broke into a sprint, but had hardly taken two steps before Undyne caught and stopped him.

"Papyrus, what the hell is going on!?" She demanded.

"I have to find—"

"Leave him!" She growled.

"No!" Papyrus snapped back with the same ferocity. He tore his wrist out of her grip; "When I told you, you wouldn't understand, I knew it! My relationship with Sans started out unreciprocated and complicated, but it's different now! I love him, Undyne! I love him and I know it disgusts you, that's why I never wanted to tell you! So if you'll excuse me, I need to go find him and tell him what he heard wasn't true before…before…"

 _No._ Papyrus thought to himself, _Sans wouldn't do that…Not anymore…Not over this…_

The skeleton didn't bother to finish his sentence. Instead, he turned on his heels and ran. Everything had gone horribly wrong. Undyne learned the truth and Sans had misheard his confusing babbles. If there was one thing he had to fix, it was what his brother had thought he heard. He could live with the Underground burning them for their love, but not with Sans falling into a pit of depression and despair.

 _I love Sans! I love—_


	22. Chapter 22

Papyrus ran as fast as his legs could carry him back to his house. He nearly tore the door down on his way in what with being so caught up in the desperation of clearing up a terrible misunderstanding. He shouted for Sans as he turned their home into a mess. After a few hasty minutes of shouting for the smaller skeleton and looking into every single corner, Papyrus concluded his brother wasn't home. He had no idea where he could have gone and the way his mind was racing was making it hard to think rationally. He sat down in the middle of the stairs, burying his head in his hands as he attempted to calm down.

 _Where would Sans go?_ He repeated to himself, muttering the question in time with his thoughts. Despite all the time they had recently spent together, he couldn't even begin to imagine where he would have gone if not their home. And the longer he went without an answer, the more his mind turned to dark, eerie thoughts that did nothing for his agitated state. As such, echoes of bygone memories began to surface…

"… _I'm an anxious mess…and I don't think my feelings are reciprocated so I don't want to deal with the rejection…but…also…"_

"No!" Papyrus growled to himself. "It isn't time to think about that! I have to find Sans!" He smacked his hands against his skull, almost like he was trying to punch the horrible memory away. "I have to find Sans!"

" _I get these…thoughts…"_

"Stop it!" Papyrus was practically shouting, "I need to find Sans! I can't think about this—"

" _I-I don't think very highly of myself…I'm insecure…and I'm afraid that if I were to be told that my feelings are returned, that it wouldn't be true…that it would have been said out of pity…"_

"I love him! I love him so much!" Papyrus told himself frantically. "I mean it now! I really do! I—I…" Papyrus's heart gave a painful throb.

" _What…what would you do if that happened?"_

" _Well…I'd really rather not think about it…"_

The taller skeleton remembered Alphys's expressions and tone of voice as though their conversation had taken place the day before. She had sounded so forlorn and lost deep inside her head – inside her grief, her depression. He supposed he might as well have been talking directly to Sans back then. He was probably reacting to this situation the same way Alphys would have had she been in his brother's shoes. Despite being two very different kinds of people, Alphys and Sans were the same in their grief – that much was obvious. It was also likely the only reason things had transpired the way they did between he and Sans. Had they reacted to depression significantly differently, maybe Papyrus would have never noticed and never been pushed to give Sans a speech confusing him into declaring his love.

This was all Papyrus's fault. He knew from the very start that this could never end well. Conversely, doing nothing when he was aware how much Sans was suffering probably wouldn't have changed the story significantly – especially when it seemed that both were currently heading to the same terrible ending. However, Papyrus refused to accept that. He refused to believe all the progress Sans had made had been for naught, that he hadn't beaten his depression during their time together. Sans wasn't going to kill himself – he couldn't. He wasn't sad anymore…was he?

 _Of course not!_ Papyrus argued with himself, _He stated so many times how happy he now was! He can't be both depressed and happy!_

 **But what if he was lying? What if he pretended to be happy for my sake? It wouldn't be the first time…**

 _No! He was genuine!_ Papyrus stubbornly rationalised, rising from his seat in the stairs abruptly. _I-I just need to find him and everything will be okay again…_

 **Things will never be okay. Not when Undyne knows. Not when Sans thinks our love was a lie. He's probably—**

 _Fine!_ Papyrus interrupted himself, _He's fine! He's sad and confused, but he's physically fine! He…He has to be…_

The skeleton began pacing anxiously around in their living room. He tried to think where Sans would have gone. He ruled out the place in Waterfall where they had their first date and their first time. It didn't seem like a logical place to go looking. Regardless of the sentiments tied to the area, Sans never liked it more than that. He had never shown any interest in returning there, even after having witnessed the mysterious yellow lights. He supposed he could cross out the frozen lake on which they had skated, and the Ruins's entrance where they had fallen asleep some time ago, as well.

 _Where would Sans go?_ Papyrus thought to himself; _Think! Think! Think—_

 **Where would I go if I wanted to kill myself?**

The thought had Papyrus freezing and his heart stuttering in horror. He didn't want to entertain the idea in the slightest as even brushing over it petrified him. And yet, it caused his mind to drift to Alphys, to the story she had told him about how she had first met with Undyne. Papyrus remembered how she said she was staring into the dark abyss of the endless waterfall next to the junk yard. She had wanted to jump, to end it all, but Undyne came and invited her for tea. But Sans would never go there…would he?

 _No, he doesn't know about the story._ Papyrus reasoned with himself, _Besides, he wouldn't do that to himself…_

But Papyrus couldn't think of anywhere else where the smaller skeleton would have gone and he felt like he was running out of time. He also needed to start his search somewhere. With the simple need of finding Sans and fixing his mistake, Papyrus ran out of his house. He made his way to the Snowdin dock where he found the Riverperson seemingly waiting for him. It was strange, but he didn't question it. He didn't care to, not when more important things were at stake.

And without necessitating the slightest word, the Riverperson guided his boat at record speed to Waterfall. Papyrus gave him a perplexed look – and how could he not when no conversation had yet been exchanged between them? However, the Riverperson simply brushed him off, ushering him on his way as he began humming quaintly to himself and playing with the water. Papyrus shook his head and ran towards the endless waterfall. He called out for Sans hoping that if his brother didn't answer, than a monster who heard him would respond to tell him where they saw him go. But nobody came.

The taller skeleton's pace slowed down considerably when he began treading through water. However, it reinvigorated his efforts to get to the endless waterfall and make sure Sans wasn't there. He couldn't be. Papyrus didn't want him to be. He trudged through and ignored the dull pain building in his legs as he pushed on. Soon he caught sight of the small mountains of junk that marked the junk yard's entrance. He passed by them, nearly tripping on some sort of red motorless motorbike. He didn't have time to dally on what it truly was, to be frank. He followed the way the caverns snaked further into the ground until there was an abrupt right turn which gave out on the large dome area of the endless waterfall.

"Sans!" Papyrus cried.

His voice echoed, easily stifling the sound of the rushing water but only for a brief moment. And yet, it was enough to have Sans turn to face him. Oh, how Papyrus hated seeing him standing there. He was far too close to the edge of the cliff for his liking and his face was stained with tears. He seemed so troubled and torn to see the taller skeleton there, almost like he hadn't expected him to be there – or rather hadn't _wanted_ him to be there.

"Sans!" Papyrus shouted frantically, "Get away from there! You're too close! You'll fall—"

"don't." Sans ordered when Papyrus tried to take a step closer, though his tone lacked greatly in authority. In fact, he seemed rather defeated. "stay where you are."

Papyrus felt his heart begin to shatter in his chest. Sans was crying. Sans was standing on the edge of a precipice utterly grief-stricken. Sans wanted to die. He couldn't deny it anymore; not when the smaller skeleton glanced at the abyss with such desire in his eyes. Papyrus had done that. Papyrus had pushed Sans over the edge, had made him cry, had broken him so horribly. He obviously hadn't meant to, but did that even matter in the moment? The damage had been done and Sans felt like all the good they had experienced together was nothing more than a charade.

"Sans…please…" Papyrus begged, his voice cracking under the weight of the guilt and fear that pulsed through his bones. "Don't do this…"

"i'm sorry." Sans apologised. He wiped the tears from his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, but new ones soon appeared rendering the gesture entirely pointless. Regardless, the skeleton smiled bitterly and shifted his gaze to an empty space. "i should have known. this was too good to be true." He took in a deep, shaky breath, "you know… it explains a lot about how you acted when this all started. i noticed you were being weird or…off. you weren't being you. i thought it was just me…i thought i was just seeing you in a new light because we were in a relationship now and it was too surreal to me. i felt like i was in a dream and like i was going to wake up at any moment…i guess i'm awake now, but not in the less painful way."

Sans looked like he wanted to keep talking, but his voice faltered and he began to cry hard. Deep sobs wracked his body as fat tears rolled down his face. He tried to stifle them by covering them with his hands, but they simply squeezed past his fingers. Then, he shifted backwards so unexpectedly it nearly gave Papyrus a heart attack. He was so close to the edge and it almost seemed like he had been about to fall into the darkness. Luckily, Sans was still there for the moment.

"i'm sorry papyrus." Sans hiccupped through heavy tears, "i'm so, so sorry." Papyrus was taken aback by how genuine his brother seemed to be. It didn't make any sense. _He_ should have been the one apologising, not the other way around. But soon, he understood why; "i-i forced you into something you didn't want…i touched you inappropriately and _made_ you touch me back…i…i fucking _raped_ you!" the smaller skeleton began wheezing at his false realisation. He gripped his face, his expression contorting into pure horror and self-disgust. It was painful to watch and Papyrus just wanted him to stop. "i'm scum – no, i'm worse than that! what did i do to you, papyrus? what did i do to you!? i-i should…i should just…"

Sans moved his gaze back to the chasm in which the waterfall disappeared. He leaned towards it and Papyrus knew he was going to let himself be carried away if he didn't act.

"No! Sans! No!" Papyrus cried, collapsing onto his knees, "Stop it! Don't do this! Don't leave me!"

"i can't live with what i've done to you…" Sans said.

"You didn't do anything to me, so stop it!" Papyrus shouted as loud as he could. Finally, the rollercoaster of emotions was taking its toll and he too began to cry. "You didn't make me do anything! Everything I did was because I wanted to! I _wanted_ to touch you, I _wanted_ to kiss you, and I _wanted_ to make love to you! I love you, Sans! I love you with every fiber of my being! So please don't jump! Don't go somewhere where I can't reach you! I need you here! I need you with me!"

"but…undyne…" Sans muttered at a loss. He was visibly confused.

"I know what I said." Papyrus acknowledged, shakily getting back onto his feet. He carefully took more steps towards Sans as he continued to speak, weary of any potential negative reaction to his approach. "And in the start it was true." He sighed deeply. He supposed now was finally the time to come clean. "When I was first telling you I loved you, I really just wanted you to know that I cared about you and you could tell me if something was bothering you. I wanted you to know I would support you no matter what, but I guess I insisted too much on you knowing how much I loved you. That was then, now things have changed." He had crossed about half of the distance that had initially separated the two of them, "I fell in love with you, Sans. I truly did. It terrified me at first, but you made me realise my feelings were okay – that this love, as controversial as it may be, was really okay so long as we were both happy. You changed my perspective, Sans." He was now much closer, almost within arm's reach. Sans either didn't seem to notice or didn't care. He was very absorbed in Papyrus's confession. "You made me happier than I ever thought I could be, and I know I did the same to you. So don't jump. Don't end this when it's only just begun. Stay with me. Please."

Sans's shoulders fell in defeat. He began to sob again and Papyrus was finally glad he had gotten through to him—

"what's the point?" Sans asked, and never had he sounded more despondent than in that moment. "it's all just going to reset. you're not going to remember any of this."

"Wh…what?" Papyrus muttered in total confusion.

"i can't do this anymore, pap." Sans declared, "i can't watch you die again. i can't bear to be on the surface one day and wake up down here all over again the next. it's too much, i can't—"

Papyrus grabbed him. Against what he felt like was all odds, he managed to snatch Sans before he jumped. He looped his arms around his waist and pulled him close to his chest, holding on to him tightly. Then he backed away from the edge of the waterfall as Sans began to flail and shout. He had no idea what his brother was going on about in terms of resets, but it seemed to be the source of his laments – more so than the confusion brought on by Papyrus's and Undyne's row.

"let me go! let me go!" Sans screamed, desperately attempting to wriggle his way out of Papyrus's arms. "let me die! i want to die! i can't do this anymore! m-maybe i'll be free! let me go!"

"No!" Papyrus shouted back and held onto him with all his might. "I don't understand what's going on, but this isn't the solution!"

"you don't understand! you _won't_ understand!" Sans cried, nearly breaking free, "you don't remember!"

"Then make me understand!" Papyrus demanded, "Tell me everything and help me understand! I want to help you! I love you! I want you to stay with me!"

"pap…" Sans whined brokenly. His desperate vigor had suddenly faded and he slumped back into Papyrus dolefully. "just…just let me go…please…"

"I can't and I won't." Papyrus declared. "I can't live without you. If you jump, I jump. So stay if not for yourself than for me."

Sans said nothing. His shoulders began to tremble as he sobbed again, head slumped forward. Papyrus buried his face in the back of his neck and continued to hold him tightly. Only in this moment of relative calm did Papyrus realise how fast his soul heart was beating. He was wracked with fear and numbness. Sans really had been about to jump. Sans had wanted to die. What would have happened if he hadn't decided to come here in time?

"Tell me what's wrong, Sans." Papyrus cooed gently. "We'll find a way to fix it together."

"it's impossible…" Sans proclaimed, "there's no point…"

"I don't believe that." Papyrus stated firmly. "So tell me. Or don't. But I'll still find a way to save you, I promise."

"okay…" Sans croaked.

And from there, he began to tell him everything. Apparently, they were stuck in some sort of bizarre time loop that only Sans could remember and it wasn't as great as it could have been. The last few timelines had all played out the same way in the end and odds were the current one would be no different: when the seventh soul would arrive in the Underground, they would commence murdering everyone. Papyrus would try to befriend them despite everything and would consequently have his head sliced off. Sans would then be their last opponent before inevitably being killed off at which point the world would reset and he would wake up a handful of years before the fated end of the world. The cycle would subsequently repeat itself.

This, Sans confirmed, was what disillusioned him with the world. The resets ultimately negated the meaning behind every spoken word and every committed action. It made life predictable and exhausting. There was no future to look forward to, instead there was a past to be re-experienced until the end of time.

"I didn't know you were suffering so much." Papyrus admitted, "but…it's going to be okay…"

Sans huffed out a doubtfully bitter chuckle.

"I'm serious!" Papyrus insisted.

"it's not going to be okay, it's never going to be okay." Sans said, leaning into Papyrus. "you're going to forget all of this when the reset hits. you're not going to remember loving me and you're not going to fall in love with me over time either. i'll be left alone with these memories."

That sounded more painful than Papyrus could imagine. He clenched his teeth together and forced Sans to turn around to look him in the face, "Then make me fall in love with you again!" He demanded, "I don't know if these resets are real, but if they are and I don't remember them; then at least make me love you again! And don't you say you can't because that's not true; you can and you did!" Sans blinked at him dumbly for an instant. "I'm going to try the best I can in this timeline to save you and to stop the resets. But if I fail, you've got to promise me you'll make me fall in love with you again and that you won't ever give up on me!"

"pap…"

"Promise me, Sans!" Papyrus stubbornly demanded, "It's what I want! I can't imagine living in a reality or a timeline where we're not close like this. So promise me from now on, you'll always find a way to make me fall in love with you!"

Sans's eyes watered. The tears that had stopped in the midst of his depressing detailing of the resets were now returning. "okay. i promise." Sans swore.

"And promise me you won't ever try to end your life like that again." Papyrus added, stroking his brother's cheek tenderly. "Whether I'm in love with you or not, your loss would destroy me."

"i'm sorry." Sans apologised, lowering his head.

"Don't be sorry." Papyrus said, bringing the other into a tender hug. "Just promise me."

"okay." Sans conceded.

The smaller skeleton finally stretched out his arms and returned the embrace in which he had been trapped. The brothers stayed as such for a long moment, listening to each other's breathing and the water falling into the black abyss. Papyrus could have stayed like that forever. The last thing he ever wanted to do was let Sans go, especially after the recent fright. However, they couldn't stay in their little bubble forever. Slowly, they peeled themselves apart but Papyrus insisted on holding Sans's hand.

"i guess we'll take my shortcut to avoid other monsters." Sans sighed.

Papyrus was about to say he didn't care who saw them when they were suddenly teleported a few steps away from their house in Snowdin. The taller skeleton was in awe of the magic his brother had displayed. He glanced down at him, looking for some sort of answer but Sans simply gave him a forced grin and a shrug. They were going to need to have a long talk about all of their secrets at some point in the near future.

The two had hardly taken a step forward when they noticed a shadow shift just beyond the light of their home. Undyne then moved into view with a hard expression paved on her face. Papyrus tensed and moved in front of Sans protectively. His brother had been through enough for today – for the rest of his life – and he was going to be damned if he was going to let his former friend tear him down any further.

"pap…" Sans tried.

"It's okay, Sans. I got this." He reassured, standing his ground firmly.

Undyne seemed off put but that. She stopped, glancing hesitantly at the both of them. Never in his life had Papyrus ever seen her so uncomfortable. The head of the Royal Guard typically wore herself proudly and assertively. Now she seemed unsure and meek, to say the least. It was bizarre given the way they had parted hours ago. There was a long pause during which tense and uneasy stares were exchanged. Finally, Undyne raised her arms and both brothers braced themselves when they were suddenly brought into a bone crushing hug. Needless to say, they were very confused.

"I'm sorry." Undyne expressed remorsefully.

"You're…what?" Papyrus asked, completely taken aback.

"yeah, what?" Sans agreed.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, releasing them. "Out of everything, this was the last thing I expected. I didn't know what to think and I freaked out. I didn't mean to. I don't think a lot before speaking."

"So…you're okay with this?" Papyrus asked incredulously.

"No. I don't condone nor support incest." Undyne affirmed, "But I support you. Though I don't understand why either of you feel this way, it doesn't matter. As long as you're both happy and consenting, I'm okay." She then turned to address Papyrus specifically, "You just can't expect me to get accustomed to this in a second. I'm going to need time to wrap my head around this and let it all sink in. It might take a while, but it will happen so just be patient with me."

"Does Alphys know?" Papyrus asked. He was stunned by Undyne's change of heart, though he was very grateful for it.

"I thought about telling her, but it's not my secret to tell." She answered, "I don't know how she would react either. However, on the chance she would be okay with the two of you, I still don't think telling her is a good idea. Alphys overshares on her social medias so you'd be running the risk of accidentally being revealed at any moment."

"good point." Sans conceded. "where is she, by the way?"

"I sent her home." Undyne informed, "I didn't give her any details, I just broadly explained we had another fight."

Both brothers nodded. It was a good enough answer and they all knew Alphys would be too shy to dig for specifics.

"Are we good, then?" Undyne asked, nervously chewing her lower lip.

"Y-yes, of course." Papyrus stammered, still blown away by how things had gone from horribly wrong to so much better in such a short span of time.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Undyne added.

"geez this is weird." Sans commented, "i never thought i'd see you so apologetic."

"Hey! I own up to my mistakes!" Undyne exclaimed, "To apologise isn't a show of weakness, it's a show of strength and will to be better!"

"i'm sorry." Sans said, raising his hands in submission but also flashing her a cheeky smile.

"Don't get coy with me." She frowned.

Papyrus sighed contently as Sans continued to antagonise Undyne with dumb jokes. Things were evidently looking better, but he had no disillusions this time. The future was bright though the present was still dark. Despite how Sans was in a mood to crack jokes and be his usual self, he was still wallowing in his depression. His recent meltdown, which had nearly resulted in his suicide, had still happened and it hadn't disappeared because they had cleared their misunderstandings or because Undyne had apologised to them. Helping Sans out of this dark place he had fallen into was going to take a lot of time, but Papyrus was certain it was an achievable goal. As for the 'resets' Sans had mentioned, he still didn't know what to think of that and odds were he never would. It didn't sound like it was real, but the smaller skeleton kept insisting it was so he supposed his own personal opinion didn't matter. Perhaps when and if the human fell into the Underground, he could ask them. Sure they knew more on the matter. Maybe he could convince them to be friends and help everyone escape.

However, that was only in the distant future. For now, Papyrus was going to concern himself with Sans. When Undyne finally left them, warning them she would be back the next day, the brothers finally walked into their house. They were drained from the rollercoaster of emotions that had unfolded over the past few hours and both were in dire need of some sleep. Papyrus paused in front of his room, watching his brother trudge towards his own. He frowned and immediately chased after him, scooping the smaller skeleton in his arms much to the latter's surprise.

"w-what are you doing?" Sans stammered, squirming a bit.

"I want you to sleep with me tonight." Papyrus declared as he brought him back to his room.

"pap…" Sans huffed lowly, "if it's because of before…"

"It's not." Papyrus declared abruptly. "Okay, maybe a little. But that doesn't matter." He opened the door to his room and laid Sans down before crawling in next to him. "I don't want to sleep alone anymore. I want you to sleep in here with me every night from now on."

Sans nodded and buried his face into Papyrus's chest. "okay." he agreed quietly.

Papyrus held him tightly, "I love you, Sans."


	23. Chapter 23

**Epilogue.**

* * *

The road to recovery was long and hard. Though a significant amount of time had passed and Sans was much better than he had once been, Papyrus doubted they were still anywhere near the finish line. That being said, they were obviously closer than they were at the start. Regardless, the smaller skeleton seemed happy. Papyrus hesitated to add 'genuinely' because though it occasionally seemed to be the case, the instances were still too scarce for it to be true enough. Sans had his ups and downs. Some days had been easier whereas some others had been harder. There had been a period where he only seemed to be regressing and Papyrus had struggled to pull him forward or to simply stop him from taking another step back.

But things were better. They weren't fantastic, but they were better and that was all he could ask for at the moment. Years had passed since Undyne found out about them and Sans's near suicide experience. Undyne was far more supportive of them now than she had initially been – in fact, she treated them as any other couple. They could kiss, hug, and cuddle in front of her without her reacting even remotely negatively. Papyrus suspected her acceptance had played a large part in getting Sans to where he now was – if not, well, it had certainly helped him. It gave the taller skeleton hope. If he and Undyne had come to accept their relationship, perhaps the rest of the Underground could as well. However, that was a battle for another day.

As of late, Sans seemed to be falling back into one of his down periods. Fortunately, due to the progress that had been made, Papyrus knew it wouldn't last for long. Nevertheless, the smaller skeleton was behaving significantly differently than all the other times his positive mindset had failed him. It almost seemed like he was waiting for something terrible to happen. Then again, Sans often seemed that way when he fell into his slumps.

Regardless, they would march through it together and they would not only come out of it stronger, but hopefully happier. This displayed solidarity and commitment had actually somehow brought the brothers closer together than they had ever been before. Papyrus supposed a fright like the one Sans had given him all those years ago would effectively do that. Of course, the fact that the smaller skeleton was actually opening up and allowing him to help him was probably more at play than the aforementioned reason. Papyrus liked how Sans now trusted and loved him enough to tell him about what was bothering him. He had only ever wanted to help and now he finally could.

The taller skeleton did everything in his power to keep Sans happy and, when he suffered a night terror or spontaneous panic attack, he did everything he could to help him through it. The only thing he couldn't yet fix was the questionable allegation that they were all stuck in some sort of time loop only Sans remembered. Papyrus still didn't know what to think about that. He didn't know if it was real and he didn't know how Sans could even go about proving it if it was real. Though his brother seemed very convincing and was utterly serious whenever he talked about it, as few as those moments were, the concept was admittedly insane. Papyrus wanted to believe him, he just didn't know if he could. For the moment, he opted to set the issue aside. Sans proclaimed the last human held the power to reset whenever they so desired and if that were true, Papyrus would simply convince them to stop. But, again, that was an issue for another day.

Today, Papyrus was happy. He was beaming. In fact, he was enveloped by a warm bliss he was certain he would never tire of. Sans had come home from his sentry shift and he had met him at the door. Papyrus couldn't quite remember _why_ he was at the door to begin with, but it mustn't have been very important. He also wasn't quite sure of how things resulted in him fucking Sans hard and desperate against the wall, but they had and he wasn't complaining.

Sans had his legs wrapped around his waist in an effort to help maintain himself up while Papyrus used his body to pin him in place and offered additional support by holding his hip bone. He slammed into the conjured ecto hole with a delicious ferocity that had the smaller skeleton throwing his head back against the wall and crying out in ecstasy as loudly as he could. The sounds he uttered were intoxicating; they had Papyrus's head spinning with the animalistic craving for more. Lately, Sans had been having that intense effect on him a lot. Actually, it had been a very long time since they had had slow and loving sex. Now they fucked like it was going to be the last time. Not that that was bad, Papyrus enjoyed it immensely, he simply didn't understand why he lacked the patience to savour Sans.

 _Maybe I should do that…_ Papyrus thought to himself contemplatively, _Take my time, tease him a lot, but also show him how much I love him…_

"hann— _oh!_ _mmf!_ papy—" Sans whined lustfully, pulling Papyrus out of his thoughts. He hadn't realised he had gotten slightly distracted.

"Ngh! Sans…" Papyrus moaned. "I'm getting close…"

"me – _ahh_! – me too!" Sans managed to utter.

The coils of pleasure were tightening in Papyrus's bones fairly quickly. His thrusts were becoming erratic, and soon it would all be over despite how he never wanted it to end. Sans was gripping at his scarf and shoulders desperately. His expression exposed how wrecked he was by bliss; he couldn't even keep his mouth shut what with the endless series of moans pouring out of him. Papyrus had never seen him like this but he certainly planned on beholding the sight again very soon. Relishing Sans slowly and sensually would have to wait a little.

Finally, both Sans and Papyrus cried out in unison as they achieved their climax. It was the first time the two had been so perfectly in sync, though the thought was far at the back of Papyrus's mind. Tension and strength had abruptly left his body and he struggled to stay on his legs let alone keep Sans from falling. They breathed heavily. Both were covered in a thin layer of sweat that suddenly became bothersome and frankly gross. Papyrus had the strong urge to clean himself, but he wasn't sure he would be able to make his way up the stairs. Instead, he decided he would stay like this for a while. It have been taxing on him, but it certainly felt much easier than actually shifting positions.

"That was good…" Papyrus panted heavily, "Really good…"

"just 'good'?" Sans chuckled breathlessly, "i thought you would use more eloquent words to describe that."

"How would you describe it?" Papyrus probed mostly because he was too sexed out to think of more appropriate synonyms.

"intoxicating…" Sans breathed, resting his head exasperatedly against the wall, "addicting…"

"Those are good words." Papyrus conceded. He felt a bit stronger now, "Though I don't think they can be considered 'eloquent'."

"well dazzle me, smarty pants." Sans challenged.

"Superlative." Papyrus replied, happy to accept the dare, "Sublime. Divine."

"heh…sounding real fancy…" Sans chuckled, "especially for a guy with his pants around his ankles."

Papyrus laughed as well, pressing his forehead tiredly against his brother's. They fell into silence after that. It was a soft and comfortable quaintness that lasted what felt like a very long time. Neither minded. It was nice. Papyrus was so glad his brother was still here with him. He was also glad for the repercussions of the actions that lead them to this moment. Both the good and the bad were necessary for them to have ended up like this and Papyrus wouldn't have had it any other way.

"we can't stay like this forever…" Sans eventually muttered.

"I wish we could." Papyrus confessed.

Sans blushed a bit. "me too…" he sighed, "but wasn't there something you were meant to be doing?"

Papyrus blinked at him confused. "I don't think so…?" he said, though now that he thought about it, he felt like there had indeed _been_ something; what, however, he couldn't quite remember.

Luckily, he didn't have to.

Without the slightest warning, their front door was abruptly kicked open by a roaring Undyne, spear in hand. Papyrus yelped in fright and held Sans close to him as he tried registering the spontaneous chaos. The captain of the Royal Guard was breathing heavily, nostrils flaring like she had run all the way to their house at top speed from Waterfall. Little did Papyrus know, it was exactly what she had done.

"Papyrus—" She roared ferociously when the sight in which she had caught them suddenly seemed to register in her mind. The fury that had once defined her vanished as she recoiled dramatically and covered her face, a small blush tainting her cheeks. "Aww, come on guys!" She shouted, stomping around like an angry toddler. "I didn't need to see that! Why are you two always so horny! This is the _third_ time!"

"Maybe if you didn't just barge in like that…" Papyrus trailed off accusingly.

"You're literally right _next_ to your front door!" Undyne counter argued, "This time it's not on me!"

"i'm starting to think you like seeing us like this." Sans joked with an amused grin.

Undyne stopped being dramatic for a brief moment. Her expression was deadpan as she said: "No offence; ew." Sans laughed loudly at that. "Now do either of you want to put your pants back on to make this less weird? I know we've gotten close but I don't think we're _that_ close…"

"yet." Sans continued to joke as Papyrus let him down.

"Again: ew. But also: no." Undyne responded, glaring at the smaller skeleton, though she didn't really mean the nastiness her look conveyed.

"Could you please close the door now?" Papyrus asked, nervously glancing to see if a monster had passed and accidentally seen them.

"Sure." Undyne shrugged. She tried shutting the door only for it to fall off its hinges. "Oops."

"Undyne!" Papyrus whined, "Stop breaking my door!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have skipped out on training to fuck Sans against the wall!" Undyne retorted, arms akimbo.

"Training…" Papyrus repeated contemplatively when he suddenly remembered. "Oh…oops."

"Oops is right!" Undyne scoffed, "I guess we're even now."

"I don't think forgetting training equates to breaking my door." Papyrus maintained. "Especially when you could have just called."

"Psh! Whatever! Just get dressed so we can get going!" Undyne barked, tapping her foot impatiently.

Papyrus rolled his eyes as he pulled up his pants and marched over to his room. He changed out of his clothes into a fresher ensemble, still a bit upset he didn't get to clean the sex and sweat from his bones. He supposed there wasn't much of a point though when he would get sweaty from all the training he was about to be subject to. Thus, Papyrus shrugged the thought aside. He turned to leave his room when he stopped upon seeing Sans in his door frame. The smaller skeleton seemed uneasy with his look cast on the ground as he shifted in place. Papyrus then remembered that despite how good the sex had been, they were still in one of his brother's slumps.

"Sans…" He smiled and moved to him, "Are you okay?"

"yeah…" Sans muttered. He was lying but Papyrus decided not to say anything about it just yet. "i…i just…" he paused, gritting his teeth together in frustration – or maybe it was hesitation. "i love you." he settled with, "come back home soon. okay?"

"Okay." Papyrus grinned and leaned in for a quick kiss. "There's spaghetti in the fridge if you get peckish. I'll be back in about three hours. Maybe a little more if Undyne decides she wants to make me pay for forgetting."

"i think she will." Sans laughed softly. He still seemed uneasy. "i'll be waiting."

That last part seemed a bit grim and foreboding to Papyrus. It cemented the suspicion he had of Sans having lied about being fine. However, he still opted not to push on the matter. He and his brother had come a long way in their relationship. He now knew that Sans would come to him to tell him about what was bothering, all Papyrus had to do was give him time. He consequently kissed him one last time as a means to comfort the smaller skeleton before making his way downstairs to an impatient Undyne.

"Finally!" She groaned as she saw him descend.

The skeleton brothers' suspicion had been right; Undyne did intend on punishing Papyrus physically for having forgotten about their scheduled training. That being said, neither had anticipated it would start as soon as they walked over the door she had broken. The captain of the Royal Guard made Papyrus sprint with her all the way back to her home in Waterfall. However, somewhere along the way, their run had turned into a race. In the end, they had tied and both nearly collapsed from exhaustion once at the finish line.

"Okay—" Undyne heaved, using the cavern wall for support, "We'll rest for five minutes before sparring. No need for warm ups after that run…"

"Agreed…" Papyrus nodded just as breathlessly. He was already getting sticky with sweat again albeit in a different way.

They took a bit longer than five minutes to really catch their breaths. Both had been more drained than they had thought. Nevertheless, they still got into position for their first sparring match within ten minutes, when they were unexpectedly interrupted. The soft sobbing of a small creature caught both of their attentions. Just at the entrance of Undyne's cave was a small whimsun white with fear. It was covered in a strange grey powder except...it wasn't powder. Undyne and Papyrus exchanged uneasy looks.

"A human fell into the Underground today."


End file.
